Pride Comes Before A Fall
by LetitiaRichards
Summary: After a rocky start, Jack and Sam are finally together, after the tense arguments and feelings of guilt they'd undergone to get where they are. Epilogue now added.
1. Chapter 1

_Well, here we are at last folks – a brand new story for you to read. It's not so very long as it stands, (6 chapters) but that all depends on whether you would like me to continue with it; once you reach the last chapter, that is!_

_I'd like to thank everyone for being so patient with me. It's taken me a while to get going again with turning out something new, but it's finally done. I'd also like to thank Diane for going over it and pointing out the error(s) of my ways. LOL! Thanks Diane! And Michele, if you're reading this, then you'll know I wish you a speedy recovery!_

**Pride Comes Before A Fall**

By LetitiaRichards.

Category: Much Angst, Drama, Hurt/Comfort (emotional), Romance.

Pairings: Pete/Sam, Jack/Sam.

Season: Alternate ending of season 8, according to my rose coloured specs.

Spoilers: Divide & Conquer, Affinity, Threads.

Warnings: Keep a few tissues handy!

Summary: You always hurt the one you love; the one you shouldn't hurt at all.

Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate SG-1, Wish I did. No copyright infringements intended. Just borrowing the characters for a bit of fun, fantasy and imagination. With apologies to Don and Phil, who own the rights to their song, but I couldn't resist adding it to this, because it really fitted the mood and the feelings in this fic.

**Pride Comes Before A Fall**

by LetitiaRichards

Chapter 1

_I'll never ever let you see_

_The way my broken heart is hurtin' me_

_I've got my pride and I know how to hide_

_All my sorrow and pain_

_I'll do my cryin' in the rain_

Jack rose to his feet and moved quickly across the room. He so did not want to listen to that particular song belting out, reflecting as it did his own feelings. Silence fell swiftly as his finger pushed the relevant button, cutting the sound off before it made him feel even more morose than he was already.

Carter had hurt him no matter how much or often he'd churned it over in his mind in search for some sort of reconciliation in himself. He knew he should be happy for her, but the truth of the matter was he just couldn't find it in himself to look at her forthcoming nuptials in that way. He was hurting; and to be quite honest about it, a little resentful that she'd decided to move on without him.

There had always been that special something between them, and he'd been patiently waiting for the right time to fulfil his hopes and dreams, feeling that there would always be a future for them together whenever. It was not to be though. Sam had found herself another guy. A much 'younger' man who had made that tiny crack in his heart widen and crumble even further until he thought it would shatter completely.

He walked back towards the sofa and flopped down onto the cushions dejectedly releasing a huge sigh. He'd tried to look at it from her point of

view and he knew without a shadow of a doubt that she would be settling for less if she'd stuck with him. Who in their right mind – and a brilliant one like she had – would settle for an aging dumbass grunt with bad knees just like him? Not Carter that was for sure.

Pulling his thoughts together and determined not to dwell on things that would never be, he got to his feet and locked the doors, making sure

everything was secure before he took himself off to bed. Tomorrow was another day and he would somehow muddle through it as always, though not for long because he had made up his mind in the light of recent events. He would tender his resignation and retire to his cabin; if only to escape from having to call her Samantha Shanahan. He couldn't do that, no way. It would be too much for his wounded soul to bear. Even he had a limit and apparently, this was it.

OoOoOoOoO

The knock on the door disturbed the peace of the room and Brigadier General Jack O'Neill's fingers halted above the keyboard of the laptop

computer he was using. The letter he was constructing was still in its initial stages and with a sigh of reluctance to stop writing, he clicked save and then pulled the top down to hide the contents on the screen from prying eyes.

"Come!" he commanded, wondering who it would be at this time of the evening. It was fast approaching 21:00hrs. He was supposed to be writing reports but had started composing a letter instead.

The door opened and Lt. Colonel Sam Carter entered, looking a little sheepish to Jack's way of thinking, and she was the last person he wanted to be talking to this late in the day.

"Sir...do you have a moment?"

"Sure Carter? What's up?" he asked, trying to sound nonchalant, though feeling far from it.

"I...er...I just wanted to give you this sir."

Sam held the plain white envelope out towards him and he frowned up at her wondering what it contained; he sincerely hoped it wasn't her resignation. There was no way he would allow her to step down. The SGC needed her, if not the whole world.

So far since she'd confronted him about that ring, she'd had kept herself tucked away in her lab when she wasn't off world and when she was off the base she had also given up their usual Friday night team get-togethers in favour of keeping Pete company, now that she had made her choice and they were officially engaged.

He plucked the envelope reluctantly from her noticeably trembling fingers; he could see she was nervously awaiting his comments, and he couldn't help but get a sinking feeling in his gut at the prospect of what was written on the contents inside.

Reluctantly he tore open the envelope, his own fingers shaking slightly as he pulled the card from its hold.

He knew it, dammit!

It had still come as a shock to him though when he read the beautifully scripted silver words of the wedding invitation neatly arranged over the inner pages of the card.

He sucked in a ragged breath and held it there for a moment, looking up to catch her eyes, but she wasn't looking at him, rather than at the card in his hands. The big day had been planned to take place in three months time. She'd looked somewhat sheepish and embarrassed, and now he could understand why that was.

"You will come..." she asked tentatively, still unable to meet his intense gaze, "...won't you sir?"

"Ah...Sorry Carter, but no can do!" he replied. "I can't make it." There was no way in this lifetime that he could sit there and watch her marry somebody else. He'd loved her for cryin' out loud. Still did. He couldn't go through that; it would seem so...so final. It would put paid to any hope he'd ever held for the future. Under normal circumstances, he would refuse her nothing, but there were limits to his good nature, and this would exceed all his good intentions to wish her well. No way could he go there and watch her get married while his heart shattered inside his chest.

"May I ask why sir?" she asked before she could think about it sounding insubordinate.

"Because I can't, Carter. I won't be here," he answered vaguely, hoping to drop the subject.

"Why?" she asked again, giving him a watery frown, but still managing to hold back the tears that were demanding to be let loose.

Jack looked up at her noticing she omitted the 'sir' this time of asking. He let it pass as it wasn't exactly USAF business, official or otherwise.

"I'm...going away," he answered bluntly then asked in a rather dismissive way. "Was there something else you wanted, Carter?"

Bright blue eyes awash with tears met with unflinching dark brown ones, trying to read his inner thoughts, but she saw that he had already locked the world out and his impassive face was giving nothing away. She gave up with a little sigh of disappointment, because the look in his eyes had warned her that no further enquiries as to his reasons would be welcome or tolerated. She sniffed back the need to weep, knowing he was already beyond her reach.

"No sir," she replied softly, her voice full of regret. "Nothing else."

"Good. See you in the morning then Carter. Goodnight!"

"Goodnight sir," she echoed dejectedly. She really had hoped that he would have at least had the decency to come to her wedding, he was supposed to be her friend, but she also supposed it was just too much to ask of him. What exactly did she expect from him anyway? After all that they had gone through, even dancing around the issue of the frat. regs for so long; she though she had meant more than a passing acquaintance to him over the years. He'd promised her so many times that he'd be there for her...always. So why not now? She knew the answer in her mind already – because she had Pete now, and that should be enough for her.

She left the room quickly, shutting the door with a soft click where only now would she allow the tears to break free before she completely broke down. Stuffing the overwhelming need to cry, she hurried back to her lab where she could be alone; free to let loose on her emotions without restraint or interruption. His refusal to join her on the biggest day of her life had stung more painfully than she'd imagined.

Jack sat back in his chair and sighed, knowing that he had upset her by his outright refusal to attend her wedding, but he wasn't that strong. He'd kept his deep feelings for her in line so far but this was like the proverbial straw. It was like she was rubbing his nose in it and it had been too much to take. If, by some act of persuasion from the others, putting pressure on him to attend, then he knew it would be the end of everything he'd ever held dear.

He shoved the card into the back of his drawer and returned to composing his letter of resignation. Enough was enough. He had to get away, unwilling and unable to stay and watch her enjoy life with another. He'd tried to be happy for her, but he wasn't fooling himself or Daniel for that matter. Daniel knew how he'd felt. Had done for a long time it seems; and had even tried to urge him to say something to Sam to put a stop to the madness. He couldn't though; he was her superior officer and he couldn't...wouldn't jeopardise their careers over something that apparently had meant so little to her in the end. It was too late now of course. He'd waited too long and now he'd lost her.

_If I wait for cloudy skies_

_You won't know the rain from the tears in my eyes_

_You'll never know that I still love you so_

_Though the heartaches remain_

_I'll do my cryin' in the rain_

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

_Wow! What can I say? Except a great big THANK YOU to all of you who reviewed the first chapter. It was a wonderful surprise to find you'd all enjoyed it so much. I only hope that you will continue to enjoy reading it as the story progresses. Big Hugz to all of you!_

**Pride Comes Before A Fall**

By LetitiaRichards

_Previously:-_

He couldn't though; he was her superior officer and he couldn't...wouldn't jeopardise their careers over something that apparently had meant so little to her in the end. It was too late now of course. He'd waited too long and now he'd lost her.

Chapter 2

_A week later:_

"Jack?" the voice called, coming from round the door as it opened.

"Daniel," Jack sighed, putting aside his pen. "What can I do for you?"

"Why Jack?"

"Excuse me?"

"I want to know why you refused to go to Sam's wedding?" Daniel demanded as he stood rigid and indignant, arms crossed over his chest, in front of Jack's desk.

"Oh that! It's none of your business Daniel. Now if you'll excuse me, I have work to catch up with before I leave." Jack shuffled several papers around on the desk, enforcing his point.

"Leave?" Daniel gaped. Had he missed something here? "Where are you going?" he asked, his brow furrowing deeply in confusion.

"Just leaving, well, actually I'm retiring!"

"What?" Daniel cried out in surprise. "When?"

"Next week," Jack replied nonchalantly with a wave of his hand and a shrug.

"So when exactly were you going to tell us?" Daniel snapped angrily.

Jack noisily blew out a long drawn out sigh.

"Jack. We're supposed to be friends. Doesn't that mean anything to you anymore?"

"I was gonna tell you kids...later. You just caught me before I was ready."

"That's no excuse Jack."

"Well it's all you're getting Daniel, ...and I'm really busy here."

"I'm still waiting Jack."

"For what?"

"Your answer!"

Jack paused, looking up at the younger man.

"What was the question?"

"Dammit Jack! I want to know why you aren't going to Sam's wedding!"

"I can't...okay! Do you honestly expect me to go there and...and watch her getting hitched to that...jerk?"

"You still love her!" Daniel stated when he realised the true reason behind his friend's refusal to attend the wedding. "You can't bear to watch them can you?"

Jack sighed again, leaning his elbows on the desk, as he scrubbed his hands through his short grey hair making it stick up even more so than usual. Daniel had hit the nail on the head first try. Damn the man!

"It doesn't matter!" Jack snipped looking up again, fixing Daniel with a scowl that warned him not to go any further.

And, as usual, Daniel ignored the unspoken caveat. Since when did he take any notice of Jack's orders anyway?

"Jack... God, were you ever so stupid?" Daniel ranted on, throwing his hands in the air in frustration. "Of course it matters! Don't you see? She still loves you, you idiot. You can stop this Jack. Just talk to her!" he pleaded, desperately wanting to see his best friends happy again.

"Daniel... If that was ever the case, then tell me why she is going ahead and marrying that...dork?"

"Because she thinks that's all there ever will be Jack. Have you ever given her any reason to hope that it might be any different?"

Jack shrugged again. How could he?

"We never talked about it. She wanted it left in that room so I never mentioned it again and she seemed quite happy to leave it there all this time."

"Only because you never said anything to the contrary! What was she supposed to think?" Never before had Daniel ever wanted to knock some sense into his friend, but now would seem the right time, apparently.

"And what was I supposed to think Daniel? You tell me! Because I sure as hell don't know!" Jack yelled, jumping up to force his point across. Having vented a little of his frustration, he added in a somewhat calmer voice, "She was the one who went and found someone else, while I sat back and waited. Well, now it's too late. There's nothing I can do about it."

"It's not too late Jack. Go talk to her!"

"I will not come between her and her...intended, Daniel. She wanted him. She's marrying him. That's the end of it."

Jack sat back down heavily in the chair feeling thoroughly dejected. On one hand he wanted nothing better than to go and talk some sense into her and tell her that he loved her; but on the other hand he was scared that she would turn him down altogether, and what little friendship they did have left, would be ruined forever. Would he be able to live with the rejection? That was the question; and one he really didn't know the answer to.

She appeared to be happy and contented with things as they were; so why should he be the one to cause her grief by dragging up the past and ultimately promise things that could never be? She deserved better than him and he would just have to accept that he was not going to be a part of her plans.

He scrubbed his hands through his hair once more, releasing another huge sigh.

"Don't push it Daniel," he warned. "Just leave it alone. There's nothing I can do now."

"Jack..."

"Daniel!" he snapped. "Please...just leave it at that. She's happy, and she's better off as she is. She deserves more than I could ever give her."

"No Jack. Don't you dare say that she deserves better. She may not know it yet, but she needs you, and I can't believe you're just gonna walk away from this? Can you do that Jack? Leave all this behind? Leave Sam?"

"Hey! I'm not 'leaving' Carter...not like that. I'm just an old friend Daniel, nothing more. I'm her Commanding Officer. There could never _be_ anything more than that."

"I don't believe it. Since when have you ever stuck to the rules anyway Jack? Is that why you're leaving, because of this?"

"I'm tired Daniel. I've had enough. I'm not cut out to be 'the Man'. General Hammond will be coming back until a new Commander can be found to take over," Jack droned on wearily, unwilling to carry on this conversation any longer. He really couldn't care less at that moment, who was about to take over from him. Right now all he could think about was getting the hell away from this whole touchy/feely mess.

Daniel's shoulders sagged with sadness as well as regret. He had done his best to get his friends together, to make them see sense, but both were being as stubborn as each other, determined not to be the first one to broach the subject.

"In all this time Jack, I've never known you to run away from anything. Why this? Why now?" Daniel pleaded, desperately needing to understand why things had gone wrong. With no response from his friend at all, he moved towards the door. Opening it, he stepped out of the room.

"Then maybe you never really knew me, Daniel," he whispered softly as the archaeologist walked out of the office.

Daniel hesitated on the threshold, one hand resting on the doorknob to glance back at his friend; Jack looked a picture of defeat, and he wondered when it was that his friend had aged so much without him noticing. He wasn't sure if he'd heard Jack say something or not, but didn't ask him to repeat it. Instead he bit on his bottom lip and shook his head in disappointment, then closed the door quietly behind him.

He'd tried. It was all he could do.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

_I'm hoping this comes over okay - computer problems are such a pain! Getting a new one later this week though, so maybe this will be a thing of the past._

_Thanks as always to my reviewers! Your comments are always appreciated._

Pride Comes Before A Fall

By LetitiaRichards

_Previously:-_

He'd tried. It was all he could do.

Chapter 3

_Rain drops fallin' from heaven_

_Could never wash away my misery_

_But since we're not together_

_I look for stormy weather_

_To hide these tears I hope you'll never see..._

They'd gathered in the briefing room on the day he was due to leave. He hadn't wanted a fanfare; or a party; he'd just wanted to leave quietly. And they were quiet; none of SG-1 knew what to say to him. They had been together for so long, it was hard to finally part with such a good friend. The conversation had been spartan and awkward.

Now that the time had come at last, Jack found it hard to finally say goodbye. Over the years these three people had become his family; they were the greatest of friends anyone could have wished for, but now, as they sat there in silence, it seemed even that was gone. Here they were, together for one last time and not one of them could find something to say. The atmosphere was tense; so thick with pent up anger, frustration and misery that you could almost cut it with a knife.

"Hey, you all know where I'm gonna live, it would be nice if you were to call round some time for a visit," Jack said brightly, even knowing it was a lame attempt at injecting some pleasure into the mood.

There was a mumbled response or two, but Jack had little or no expectation of anyone taking him up on his offer. This 'thing' between him and Carter, and his refusal to attend her wedding, had completely split their close ties down the middle. Jack felt as if he'd lost everything by refusing her invitation; and he didn't need eyes to see that his former team-mates were far from happy with his decision. Daniel had already made his thoughts very clear on the subject, and Teal'c, in his usual blunt way had more or less told him he was a blind fool, among other things. So much for friends, Jack had sighed despondently.

"This is wrong!" Daniel said, his soft voice breaking through the deafening silence that had fallen once again like a sudden gunshot.

Sam's head shot up from studying the mahogany wood grain of the table and she silently begged Daniel with a startled plea in her eyes, not to pursue what she had hoped to avoid. And that was a confrontation between the two of them. Between Jack and herself.

"Daniel!"

The warning come from both Sam and Jack, who looked at each other quickly with startling clarity knowing that neither of them wanted to broach the subject uppermost in their minds.

The tension in the air quickly thickening with unspoken dread.

"Just leave it Daniel, please," Jack continued. "This isn't the time or place for that matter."

"But..."

"Daniel!"

The snapped command halted the archaeologist in his tracks.

Daniel sighed with frustration and then jumped to his feet and thumped the table loudly casting an aggravated glare in his friend's direction.

"Would you just listen to me for once!" Daniel all but yelled, clearly agitated by being brushed off by Jack's terse command.

Jack glared right back at the younger man, angry that Daniel was basically interfering in things that didn't concern him. And all that did for the younger man was to aggravate him further now that he was being prevented from speaking his mind. He was literally aching with real pain in his heart for the both of them.

"General Hammond will be back in the morning, then Major General Thomas Philips will be arriving in a few days to take over," Jack sighed, leaning on what was neutral ground between them, getting back into his familiar role as Commanding Officer.

The realism of actually leaving was only now beginning to hit home. That yes, he _was_ going through with his threat to leave. He'd contemplated it several times over the years, but it had never come to this. So far, it had all been dream like in its process and paperwork. Yet, here he was taking his final briefing; leaving behind his once closest and dearest friends. These people he deemed as his family if the truth were known. They had given him something wonderful to hold onto. Something that had taken the shine off the deep ache in his heart over the loss of his Charlie. Nothing would ever replace the child he'd adored, but it was a close run thing, from Daniel who'd looked up to him; Teal'c who'd treated him with nothing but respect and loyalty; and Carter whom he'd grown to love deeply, and admired for her knowledge and her friendship.

The two of them had been so much more than friends, or at least he had believed that Sam was closer than that even, but he'd obviously been mistaken; and the impact of her engagement and forthcoming nuptials had hurt him more deeply than he dared to admit even to himself as her CO.

Now, he had nothing left to look forward to. The future held nothing except a life of utter desolation ahead of him. An aging cynical old man, embittered and lonely; hopeless and isolated in a world not of his making. Inside he was slowly dying, and he needed to do that in private; away from prying eyes; away from people that would constantly remind him of what he could no longer have. He did have a certain amount of pride and dignity and he was desperate to go up to his cabin where he could lick his wounds in the privacy of his own home.

"Actually, General Hammond is already here!" came a familiar voice from the doorway, breaking into each person's private thoughts and cutting through the heavy atmosphere that had fallen over the room.

All heads looked up and smiled as their former Commander marched into the room to stand beside Jack who had stood up to greet him. Sam rose to her feet to greet the senior officer too, as was customary.

"General...what brings you here today? We weren't expecting you until tomorrow sir," Jack said, his inner gloom morphing into genuine pleasure. It was always good to see him. George had been a friend, a father figure, and now the older General was just what was needed to escape those blatant looks from Daniel and even Teal'c's accusing ones. Sam had been avoiding him like he was the plague anyway, so had rarely looked his way at all.

"I...I have some private business to attend to. Jack, if you don't mind, can we have a word?"

"Sure."

He turned back to his premier team.

"Ah...dismissed. I'll see you later before I go...?"

"Yeah, of course Jack," Daniel said, looking meaningfully at his friend and then at Sam.

"Indeed O'Neill," Teal'c added, dipping his head in agreement but at the same time, looking like he wanted to knock Jack's head from his shoulders.

Sam, Jack noticed, had remained silent, but nodded absently, before hurrying from the room.

Jack kept the sigh of sadness to himself as he led the Lieutenant General into his former office.

It seemed strange to Jack to be sitting behind the desk instead of the other side when he was speaking with George as he had done for the seven years previously. As always though, General Hammond had insisted that he took his rightful place despite the offer of sitting in his old chair as it were. He was the guest here after all.

"Sooo," began Jack when they had seated themselves. "What really brings you to this neck of the woods today sir?" he asked, though Jack had a sneaky suspicion he knew full well why George was here early.

"Business Jack. Both Official and un...official."

"That sounds waaay too cryptic for me George. So what's up?" he asked neutrally, trying for his usual nonchalance.

"As a matter of fact you are Jack," Hammond stated, enjoying the startled look on Jack's face for the moment before the walls went up as Jack shuttered his emotions once more.

"Oh?"

"I'd like to know the real reason you're packing this in Jack! And don't give me all that BS of 'I'm too old for this lark'. I don't buy it! Not from you Jack. You forget I've known you for seven years, and this is not your usual standpoint."

Jack slumped back in his chair, studying the determined face of his friend and CO, and knew that George had him there. He knew him far too well. Wasn't that the reason they had understood each other for all those years? George was a very shrewd judge of character, and Jack soon realised that his friend wouldn't accept anything else but the truth from him.

"Would that be the official or unofficial reasons that you're asking?" Jack countered, needing to know where he stood.

"I know the official reason Jack, but I'm not blind. I knew you and Colonel Carter were more than just friends and work colleagues." He held up his hand, preventing Jack from interrupting him. "You didn't do anything wrong Jack. You were both the consummate officers that I had come to expect of you, but I want to know what has happened between you two and why you are leaving?"

"Nothing's happened!"

"Nothing? Come on Jack, I don't believe that. Something had to have happened... Sam wouldn't even look at you out there."

"That's just it George. Nothing 'ever' happened. She obviously felt I wasn't worth waiting for," he sighed sadly.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

_Again, I'd like to say a big thank you to everyone who read and reviewed the last chapter. So glad you're lovin' all the angst._

_Well, just for you, here's the next chapter and it's so very full of that lovely angst. Hope you have plenty of tissues to hand!_

Pride Comes Before A Fall 

By LetitiaRichards

_Previously:-_

"That's just it George. Nothing 'ever' happened. She obviously felt I wasn't worth waiting for," he sighed sadly.

Chapter 4

"You mean to tell me, that you never said anything or...did anything? You said nothing to reassure her that maybe one day you two could be together?" George almost gaped but he hid his surprise and shock well.

"No! There was no way I would have done anything to compromise her in any way..."

"Yet you still love her?!" It wasn't a question exactly.

Jack was momentarily floored by the statement, lost for words at the sudden realisation that George had read between the lines and knew of his true feelings for Sam. He sat forward again, resting his arms on his desk, his fingers knitted together then sucked in a deep breath, pinning his friend with his dark eyes. Seeing no condemnation in them, only compassion, he felt all the tension drain from his body with the release of another heavy sigh.

"Yes," he whispered, as though unwilling to admit to still feeling that way, despite the outcome being useless.

"Stay Jack. If she is going ahead with this then what difference does your remaining as CO make?"

"I can't. Do you honestly expect me to carry on here as if nothing happened? I can't do it George. Don't ask me to, because I can't."

"Actually, I'm here with the President's authorisation to offer you another way out Jack. I'm here to offer you another alternative."

"What?"

"He wants that you could accept another promotion and take over the role of Home Security in Washington. I'm retiring at long last Jack, and you'd be the ideal person to keep an eye on what goes on here. You would still be a member of the Air Force but it also means you'll be able to be with Sam at long last if you wanted, because she would no longer be in your direct chain of command. If things don't turn out right between you, then it won't matter so much if you're in DC. Of course you could still retire from the Air Force and let yourself wallow in regret all alone up at that old cabin of yours for the next thirty odd years. However, the President has authorised your continued role as overall commander, Jack. Take it or leave it."

"You're giving it all up?"

George smiled wryly, shaking his head. He hadn't missed the obvious avoidance tactic Jack was very good at, and he'd bring him back to answer that question just as soon as he was able; but there was no way the man could persuade him to stay on.

"I'm not as young as I was Jack, and physically I've one or two problems. Mostly though, it's because I miss my Granddaughters Jack. It's... well, quite honestly, I'm finding it rather lonely in Washington without them. I kinda got used to having them around all the time. I miss them and I want to spend what time I have left, around them."

"Yeah," Jack grimaced. He still missed Charlie, but that was neither here nor there, though he could understand how George could feel that way. "There's that of course."

Jack silently churned the offer over and over in his head, trying to fight an insane urge to accept, but he really should take the opportunity to think this through before he gave his answer.

"Do I get some time to think about this?" he asked, head cocked to one side, squinting, as if half expecting to hear a negative.

"Sure you do Jack. Go fishing or something. You have two weeks downtime, before your resignation will be fully accepted if you really do want to go ahead and retire. The President isn't happy with the idea of you leaving. You've done a grand job here Jack, so he wants you to consider the offer on the table really hard, before you refuse it. He won't pressure you at all; this has to be entirely your decision."

Would it make any difference to them at all? he wondered. Would Sam still want to marry Pete if the situation between them had changed at all? He couldn't answer that, she'd known he was going to retire and it hadn't made a difference so far. But, if he did accept and stayed on in the Air Force and she did go ahead and marry that man despite the new arrangements, then he wouldn't have to see her flaunting her married status in front of him; so there was that advantage. Could he accept that and move on with his own life? Again it was another question that he couldn't possibly know the answer to. If only he had the benefit of hindsight, he wished.

"I'd still like to think it over sir," Jack replied.

"Take your time son. As I said, go fishing or whatever. Relax. You know where to find me. I'll be expecting your call. In the meantime, your resignation will be on hold, awaiting your final decision."

"Yes sir, thank you. I do appreciate that."

With that both Jack and Hammond stood, they shook hands and George wished him luck, then took his leave. Hoping that Jack would come to a final decision before too long. Jack, he knew, just needed some space to think things through, and they were willing to give him this. What more could they do for a man who had saved the world more times than a lot of people had hot dinners? Jack may have been an irreverent pain in the butt when he was his subordinate, but surely there was never a more loyal and superb officer to be found. For the sake of the people of this world, they had to give him the time to make that decision, or risk losing him altogether.

OoOoOoOoO

Later that day, Jack was packing away the things from his locker into a holdall when he heard the door open and close behind him. He turned round slightly to find Sam standing there leaning against the door, silently watching him clear eight years of accumulated pieces of his career from the metal cabinet. He could see she had been crying and it actually made him feel guilty as well as uncomfortable, knowing he had probably been the one responsible for her highly emotional state.

"Carter," he acknowledged her presence without preamble, continuing his task.

"General," she answered softly, her voice sounding scratchy as well as nasally.

"Come to see me off? Making sure I actually go?" he asked flippantly, not wanting nor bothering to turn round to face her.

"I... I don't really want you to go sir."

"Well, that's too bad Carter 'cause I can't stay either." Having finished his packing, he yanked the zipper on his holdall, closing the bag with a flourish of finality.

"Why sir? Tell me why you feel you have to leave?" she pleaded, her voice cracking slightly under the strain of holding her emotions at bay.

"Carter. I..." From where he sat, he swivelled quickly to finally look at her, and all the years of longing to be with her, rose up to ambush him; but he clamped that feeling away almost as soon as the thought was processed.

She saw it though, despite his quick cover up, and sucked in a deep breath when she realised that he still felt the same way about her as he had done all those years ago.

"Why didn't you say something?" she accused bitterly.

"Why didn't you?" he snapped back at her, rising to his feet awkwardly.

"I didn't think you...still felt that way."

"Oh god!" he groaned, feeling his heart cramp. "Can we not talk about this? Not here. Not now."

"That's just the problem isn't it? You've never wanted to talk about...things."

She was right. He'd always shied away from any of the more personal and poignant issues when they were raised; voluntarily or otherwise. That had been Sara's one bugbear with him. He'd shut her out too.

"Okay!" he snapped, rising to his full height in answer to the challenge. "You wanna know what I think? Fine! I loved you Sam, practically from that first moment we met. I still do, but I'm not the one who's getting married! You're the one who couldn't wait any longer. You let me down. I would have waited for when you were ready to..." His voice cracked and he couldn't go on. Instead he stiffly worked his jaw and stared up at the ceiling to keep her from seeing his distress.

"Jack..." she pleaded, stepping closer, but instinct made him move out of her reach, rather than actually seeing her advance.

Regaining his equilibrium and pushing the anger to the forefront to cover his pain, he continued in the same vein as before.

"It's too late for that now, Sam. You have Pete, and I'm leaving this place. I'm moving on with my life, just as you are. I hope you'll be happy."

With that parting shot, he grabbed his things and walked out of the door, leaving her to sob her heart out in the empty room.

TBC

_PS - I haven't forgotten about the other story 'Crazy Mixed Up World' just gotta sort the last chapter or two out, but I'll be posting it in a day or two. Thanks!_


	5. Chapter 5

_A little bit more angst still to come, but as this is the penultimate chapter, you'll know that there will be some sort of resolution and maybe fluff by the end of the last chapter! _

_So, bear with me a little longer. Please...oh ye of little faith, have patience - for all good things come to those who wait! Especially if you read my fics! LOL!_

_Thanks as always for all those wonderful reviews. I can see that I have also stirred up a whole load of conflicting emotions from you. Can't wait to read of your reactions when I post the final part!_

Pride Comes Before A Fall 

By LetitiaRichards

_Previously:-_

With that parting shot, he grabbed his things and walked out of the door, leaving her to sob her heart out in the empty room.

Chapter 5

Jack drove home trying to calm his thoughts. When he pulled up outside his house, he honestly couldn't recall the journey at all. It was a wonder he hadn't crashed the damn truck. He slung his bag down in the entryway and grabbed a beer before he needed to begin packing his life away into neat little boxes. He was going to have to put things into storage, while he was up at the cabin, and was going to rent the house out; there was no way he was coming back here; not now. No matter which road he took, this house was history. If he stayed in the Air Force, he would need a house there, not here; and if he retired, then he would stay at the cabin.

He'd broken off all ties with Sam. There was no way she would want him now, not after upsetting her like he had. He knew she'd cried even before he'd slammed the door shut behind him; he'd stood outside the locker room and had listened to her sobbing helplessly. With a heavy heart he'd left her there. There would be no going back.

An hour later there was a knock on the door which startled him and he almost dropped the box he was carrying. He placed it on the floor and then crossed the hall to answer the door, believing it would be Daniel or Teal'c ready to pound him into next week.

"What?" he snapped, yanking the door open wide. He was just a little tired of everyone running interference in his affairs.

To say he was actually expecting the response he received was an understatement. He knew what would happen as soon as he glimpsed the hard fist heading straight at his face. A second later, it smashed into his nose, causing him to stagger backwards and collide painfully with the wall behind him. He held his now bloodied and throbbing nose, blinking away the moisture raised from the pain to see which of his friends had attacked him.

"Oh fer cryin' out loud!" he muttered through his hand as he tried to stem the blood streaming from his nose.

Pete Shanahan stood there glowering at him, his fists still clenched, but now resting easy by his sides.

Jack refused to flinch even as Pete brought his hand up quickly. Jack was fully expecting another blow, but this time Pete merely stuck his rigid index finger into his face angrily.

"You stay away from her O'Neill. I'm warning you. If you so much as glance at her again, by god I'll..."

"You'll what Shanahan?" he spat. He was ready for a fight, if only to relieve the pent up tension that was warring inside him. Anything that would take away the guilt of yelling at Sam, which was sitting heavily in his gut.

"You have a lot to answer for O'Neill."

"Are you threatening me?" Jack demanded, because if he was...

"I'm warning you to stay away from Sam. What the hell did you say to her? She's done nothing but sob her heart out since she came home."

"Well, I'm sorry to hear that," And he really was. "But you don't have to worry Shanahan. I have little reason to be seeing her again. I'm leaving here just as soon as I'm packed."

Jack took his handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed at the blood still sluggishly leaking from his nose.

Pete snorted in disgust, but backed away.

"Just get the hell out of our life O'Neill!"

"Thanks for your concern. Have a good life!" Jack snapped as he kicked the door shut in Pete's face. Geez, he could live without this. Carter was welcome to him. Jerk!

He took himself off to the bathroom to assess the damage. While he cleaned his face and hands, he thought over Pete's words, and came to the conclusion that he would probably want to do the same too if someone had upset Sara that much. But then, Sara had never hankered after anyone else during their marriage. Not to his knowledge at least.

After he'd cleaned up, he sauntered into the kitchen and grabbed another beer from the fridge. Once back in the sitting room, he flopped down on the sofa, relieving his frustration by kicking the boxes out of his way. His face hurt; his nose was throbbing in time with his pulse - but thankfully it didn't feel broken - and he was feeling more than a little tired and dejected now. Defeated was more like it, he sighed miserably. He'd lost Sam forever and there was nothing he could do about that now or in the dim and distant future. He took another deep swallow of the cool brew and sat lost in his churning thoughts.

All around him was inky darkness by the time he'd brought himself out of his abject misery and took himself off to bed.

OoOoOoOoO

Jack loaded up the last of the personal boxes and bags in the back of the truck and fastened the heavy waterproof cover over them to keep them dry. A steady drizzle had started up and he didn't want any of his gear getting wet.

As he moved round the other side, he realised someone was standing there watching him. He looked up and came face to face with Sam. She winced visibly when she saw the damage Pete had inflicted on his face.

"We need to talk," she said softly and relatively calmly.

Jack tried hard to ignore her, carrying on with tying down the cover.

"I'm sorry for what Pete did to you. He was being a complete ass," she continued in a soft apologetic voice, sounding like she actually meant it.

Yet still he continued to ignore her, hoping she would just go away and leave him be. Hadn't she done enough damage already?

"Jack! Please."

Finally, at her plea and the use of his given name, he stopped and turned to face her; if anything she looked just about as miserable as he felt.

"There's nothing to discuss Carter," he snapped, turning away from her so that she couldn't see the agony marring his features that her sudden appearance had caused him.

"Jack! Could we please talk? At least have the decency to stop and hear me out," she cried louder in frustration.

He stopped. Okay he was being pig-headed and he knew it, he just couldn't help it. He was hurting inside and this wasn't helping any. He'd tried so damn hard to hide it, but he was tired of hiding his feelings away, and the only way round that was to stay angry.

"Okay," he sighed, finishing his task, then he waved a hand towards his house, inviting her in so they could talk in private. Old Mrs. Vance across the road would have a field day if she was watching the comings and goings on the street as she usually was. The old woman was the bane of the local residents, but also a mine of information when it was needed, and her interest in his affairs was something he didn't particularly want right now.

Sam hadn't failed to notice the Real estate sign on the front lawn as she walked up the stoop to the door. It had caused her breath to falter in her chest, but she kept following him until she was standing in his living room surrounded by boxes.

"Okay. You're here. So...what do ya wanna talk about Carter?" he asked blandly.

Sam glanced around the room, everything had more or less been packed away. All the display cases were empty; the model planes, the photographs; all gone. Everything he'd held dear to him had been packed away. The room looked bare and cold, and about as uninviting as his manner towards her. She shuddered involuntarily, unconsciously bringing her arms up to wrap around herself.

Jack watched her, taking in her red puffy eyes. The glittering blue irises were awash with, so far, unshed tears. He held his tongue and forced himself not to take her in his arms to comfort her. He couldn't do that now, even if he wanted to; that was Pete's prerogative, being her fiancé.

She took a deep and rather shaky breath, not really knowing how to say everything she wanted to say, but looked up into his face hoping to make him understand. To her mind he looked almost stern and...angry if anything, and she guessed he had every right to be upset with her. She'd reneged on the unspoken promise she'd made him years ago.

He stared her down and she felt her face flush with heated guilt; her eyes sliding down to settle on a patch of the floor.

"I...I owe you an apology, Jack," she began softly, feeling unaccountably self-conscious standing there in front of him; rather like a naughty schoolgirl hauled up in front of the whole class by the teacher.

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

_Thank you all so much for your reviews, as always they are much appreciated._

_Well, this is the last chapter, (maybe) so I hope you can get past the angst in the first part to reach the ending. I can assure you it will be worth it! You should know me by now! Would I leave it there? Would I disappoint you all? Never!_

Pride Comes Before A Fall 

By LetitiaRichards

_Previously:-_

"I...I owe you an apology, Jack," she began softly, feeling unaccountably self-conscious standing there in front of him; rather like a naughty schoolgirl hauled up in front of the whole class by the teacher.

Chapter 6

_Some day when my cryin's done_

_I'm gonna wear a smile and walk in the sun_

_I may be a fool but till then darling you'll_

_Never see me complain_

_I'll do my cryin' in the rain_

His posture stiffened a little more if that was possible, though he remained silent; brooding even.

"I'm sorry Pete hit you. He was upset..."

"Ya think?" he snorted. He'd call it more than that personally.

Sam ignored the comment and carried on as if he hadn't spoken.

"...and for good reason too."

"Yeah? So why would that be, Carter?"

"Because I..." Sam paused, chewing her lip nervously. Taking another huge breath to steady herself before she continued. "I...I told him I didn't really love him, and that I was calling the wedding off."

Jack's eyes widened slightly in surprise and he sucked in a sharp breath to replace the one that she'd knocked out of him with her words. That probably accounted for the man's anger but he was still waiting for her to fully explain herself.

She looked up into Jack's dark haunted eyes and felt the tears well up behind her own, unable to stop one or two from leaking to run down her cheeks.

"I was... I've been such a fool Jack. I wanted so much to have a normal relationship, and I guess having Pete was more convenient than...us."

"So, what's your point Carter?" he snapped, growing restless. He hated seeing a woman cry and this, being Sam, was very much harder for him to bear. It was bad enough when Sara turned on the tears, because he knew it had been his fault. But he had nothing to do with causing Sam to cry... not this time at any rate.

Sam blinked rapidly to dispel the moisture hanging on her lashes. She wiped her face quickly with her sleeve and sniffed, then cleared her throat.

"I'm sorry...I...I know I hurt you. God knows I never meant to. I do love you, Jack. I always have, but I just didn't realise just how much until you...until you finally decided to leave. I didn't want you to go away with this...tension hanging between us. Can you ever forgive me?"

Jack shoved his hands into his pockets and moved away, turning his back on her to stare sightlessly out of the window at his backyard, his own moist eyes betraying his innermost turmoil as he leaned against the wall.

"So, why did you wait until now to tell me this Carter?"

"I didn't...couldn't let you leave, thinking of you being all alone, and...and somehow bitter. I just wanted to tell you not to go, that I'm really sorry and that I want...that I would... like you to stay."

"For what? Give me one good reason why I should?" He swung round angrily to face her.

"Because, believe it or not, I still love you Jack. Despite Pete. Deep down I've always wanted you."

"How very considerate of you." Jack grunted bitterly.

"Jack don't..."

"No Carter. It doesn't work like that. I'm not here for your convenience. Just because you dropped Pete, it doesn't mean that you can come running back to me. For once, I'm thinking of me. I need to get away, and if you think for one minute that I'm gonna sit around and rue the day you chose someone else over me, then you're wrong!" he growled angrily. "I've done that whole sitting and waiting, and now it's my turn to move on. I'm not getting any younger, Carter. I don't have the luxury of wasting any more of my time."

Sam finally broke down and sobbed. She couldn't help it. She'd ruined his life and now her own and even Pete's. She'd dumped Pete because she loved Jack, but now... he didn't want her either. She was torn into pieces; her heart shredded. She buried her head in her hands, and slumped heavily onto the chair behind her.

Jack was on a roll, angered by her fanciful idea that he would welcome her back with open arms the moment Pete was out of the picture.

Despite the depth of his anger of feeling used, he could also feel his heart breaking too at her obvious distress. There was a deep dark part of him that wanted to hurt her just as badly as she had hurt him. All those years of frustrated attraction was boiling over into anger and resentment.

With three strides across the room, he grabbed her ruthlessly by the arms pulling her roughly to her feet and shaking her.

"Don't put this on me Carter. It won't work. Go!" he yelled, his voice cracking as he fought his raging emotions. "Get out of here!" He gave her a rough shove towards the door and turned away, his face creased with pain.

Sam stumbled, her knees weak and shaky, but she backed away distraught but also frightened by his sudden fury. He'd never treated her like this before; never yelled at her; never crushed or bruised her. She cried out in alarm sobbing raggedly as she edged blindly towards the door.

Something inside him broke, and the next thing he knew, his arms were around her, pulling her in closer while pressing her against the wall. His lips were suddenly crushing hers, harsh and demanding. With sudden clarity he broke off, his breathing ragged with self-loathing. This was wrong; he was supposed to despise her, and yet... after all he'd said and done to her, she'd responded to his kiss. He hung his head in disgrace.

She'd responded instantly, automatically, her desire to feel their connection was real and almost desperate. She'd parted her lips to allow him access and allowed all those years of need to fuel her passion, returning the kiss hungrily.

God help him, he couldn't stop himself. He was so damn screwed up but he loved her so much and no matter how much he'd hated her for abandoning him, he desperately wanted her too. He'd been holding and kissing her almost before he knew what he was doing.

Once that overwhelming need had been satisfied, he pulled back, moving his hands to lean on the wall, one on either side of her head, his own bowed in fear and shame.

Fear for what her reaction would be, and fear for his own sanity. This wasn't the way it was meant to be. He was supposed to be leaving. She was supposed to be with Pete! What the hell had he been thinking? Still

breathing heavily, he finally raised his head to look into her blue eyes. They were red rimmed and watery, but he also saw a tentative smile beginning to light her face and his lips automatically wanted to react to it by curving upwards too, but he couldn't, not after...

"I'm sorry!" he gasped, shaking his head. He worked his jaw, fighting the urge to break down and cry. Tears burned behind his eyes and one or two spilled over to run down his cheek. "God...I'm so sorry..."

Silently she slid her hand up to caress his face in wonder, moving gently over the scarred eyebrow and down over his high cheek bone to wipe away the errant tears, finally coming to rest over his lips. He kissed the fingertip as it rested there, and his hand closed over it, pulling it away, though didn't relinquish his hold. He drew in a shaky breath, amazed by the woman before him.

"You...you gave up Pete for me?" he asked raggedly, still enamoured by her earlier declaration. "Do you really, really want me that much Sam?"

"Oh God, Jack, yes! I love you. I can't live without you in my life. I don't want to live without you."

"I love you too Sam," he whispered in awe, pulling her into another tight embrace to make sure she was real and he wasn't just dreaming all of this. He buried his face into the hollow of her neck. "God, Sam...I'm sorry. I should never have yelled at you. I... It hurt so much, I... I just couldn't stop myself."

"I'm sorry too Jack. I let you down so badly because I didn't think you cared any more," she whispered in his ear, her tears still falling, though not through pain. "But I promise I'll never, ever do it again my love. If you'll still have me, that is?"

"Oh Sam," Jack pulled her closer, relishing the feel of her in his arms. Something he thought he'd never be able to do. "I've wanted you for what feels like forever and even longer. I just can't believe you'd choose me over him?" he sighed against her neck, interspersing his words with tender kisses on her soft flesh.

Pulling his head back round she silenced his doubts with a searing kiss that made his head spin.

"Don't leave me Jack. Stay here. Stay at the SGC," she pleaded when they stopped to take a breath.

"I can't Sam," he sighed sadly, his hands dropped away from her as he stepped away, expecting what would surely be rejection on her part. "Sam, if I were to stay I'd still be your superior officer."

"I know," she sighed, her heart cracking again. "...but don't go Jack, please. The SGC needs you... I couldn't go on without you there."

"No. I'm done with waiting Sam." Jack shook his head. "I've waited far too long already, and now I want this. I want us. I can't go back there; not back to the way things were before."

"You have to stay." She was almost in a panic now, fearing he would resent her for having to leave after all. "I... I want this too, but..."

Jack continued to shake his head at her, silently telling her he'd made up his mind and there was no way he would be able to stay and have her too.

Sam was stunned and more than a little disappointed, but she failed to see there was a smile playing over his lips. He shoved his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels regarding her with those dark eyes which she loved.

"I guess that means I have to accept Hammond's offer then."

"What?" she asked, puzzled. "What offer?"

His hand slipped out of the pocket in his pants and he wagged his fingers at her.

"Just... stay right there. I'll be back in a minute."

He hurried out of the room and a few moments later he came back in, grinning widely.

"What?" she asked again, seeing him so pleased with himself.

"Carter... sorry, Sam... I... Hammond offered me a chance to stay in the Air Force. If I accept this, it means that I will be taking his place at the Pentagon. They've offered me another promotion and I'd be overseeing the SGC and the R & D facility at Area 51. I'll have to get permission first, but if this pans out... would you marry me instead? I know I'm old and I've got nothing to offer you except crabby knees and a bad back. I'm crotchety, set in my ways, and I'm cantankerous as best, but I'm yours if you really think you can put up with me," he said tentatively with a shrug, spreading his hands wide showing his uncertainty. It would serve him right if she'd told him to get lost, and he could hardly blame her after the way he'd treated her. "It won't be easy with my being in Washington most of the time, but I'm willing to give it a try if you will."

Sam leapt into his arms and kissed him so hard he couldn't possibly misunderstand her answer.

"Oh yes Jack," she beamed happily, laughing and crying at the same time. "I want you so much."

So, after that long overdue chat, they spent the next hour or so emptying the truck again, leaving the boxes piled in a corner of the sitting room. Exhausted both physically and emotionally from the rollercoaster of thoughts and feelings, they ended up spending their first night together as a couple. In the morning he had several phone-calls to make, as did Sam, then afterwards, there was a little matter of a long anticipated and very belated fishing trip - for two.

The End? or TBC? Perhaps just an Epilogue?

_Thank you all for reading this. I make no excuse for the angst – it's what I do! Thank you to all of you who have reviewed this fic. Love you all! So, please let me know which you, as readers of this story, want me to do with it... _

_Should I leave it there?_

_or_

_Should I continue, leading our favourite couple into new adventures of wedded bliss with my usual run of complications that may befall them?_

_If enough of you wish me to carry on with this, then please allow some time for me to gather my muse and get writing. And, also to get my files transferred and up and running on the new computer which is now ready and waiting for me to start using. It may take a while, but I will get there in the end._


	7. Chapter 7

_Well, as so many of you wanted more, here's the first chapter of the continuing saga – carrying on from where we left off. Hope you like it. Sorry for the long delay, I've had a lot of RL issues, like the loss of my dear uncle, to sort through as well as writer's block, which I think I've finally managed to throw off. Thank you all for your patience and your wonderful reviews and comments as always because they really do mean a lot to me. _

_Some of you commented last time that Jack and Sam would not have jumped into bed straight away after their embittered arguments, but I figured that it was the culmination of several long, and very needful years; and just because I'd actually said they'd gone to bed together (nothing more) - it didn't necessarily mean they had indulged in any sexual activity at that stage. It's all in the mind, you see - our imagination fills in many gaps for us._

Pride Comes Before A Fall

By LetitiaRichards

_Previously: _

So, after that long overdue chat, they spent the next hour or so emptying the truck again, leaving the boxes piled in a corner of the sitting room. Exhausted both physically and emotionally from the rollercoaster of thoughts and feelings, they ended up spending their first night together as a couple. In the morning he had several phone-calls to make, as did Sam, then afterwards, there was a little matter of a long anticipated and very belated fishing trip - for two.

Chapter 7

"Ow! Goddammit!"

Sam raised her eyebrows, wearing a slight grin when she heard the growled curse issue forth from the bathroom. Getting out of the bed, she grabbed Jack's discarded shirt from off the floor and slipped it on, then she proceeded towards the bathroom door to see what had provoked Jack into swearing. Poking her head round the door she watched for a moment or two before making her presence known.

Coming up from behind him, she slid her hands round his waist, feeling the hair roughened skin of his navel get goose-bumps as she circled his body. Pulling herself closer, she nestled her head against his shoulder blade, sighing in contentment.

Jack had stopped his movements at the first touch and his breath hitched as her hands caressed him. He closed his eyes to enjoy the sensations thrumming through his body from her closeness. His own hands moved to cover hers, keeping her from moving away. He caught the sight of his smile in the steamed up mirror, the condensation where he'd tried to wipe a clear space now running in rivers down the glass to drip onto the basin below, and distorting his reflection. He could only marvel at what had finally happened between them; never having believed it was possible. Though that could never erase the guilt he still felt at the way he'd hurt her with his harsh words. Words he should never have uttered if he'd been in his right mind. He shook his head in disbelief at how he could have done that to the one person he'd loved more than life itself.

"What?" Sam asked, genuinely curious as to why he'd suddenly become sombre. "Jack? What's wrong? Please, tell me."

Jack released his hold and turned round to face her, his hands now cupping her shoulders gently as he looked down into her concerned blue eyes. He gave a shrug and grimaced, though it turned into a wince as it pulled at the battered muscles of his bruised face.

Sam didn't miss the subtle change and reached out her fingers to lightly touch the now purple area over his cheek. She hissed in sympathy for him, feeling guilty herself, despite not actually being responsible for Pete's actions.

"Does it still hurt?" she asked, biting her lip in shame.

"Ya think?"

"Sorry," she sighed. "I had no idea he would do that to you. I'm surprised he managed to hit you? I thought you would be able to stop him easily enough if..." Her words petered out as she realised he'd actually allowed Pete to hit him. Her brow creased in confusion, but then her eyes widened when the penny dropped. "You actually let him do that to you didn't you! You didn't put up any resistance!"

It wasn't a question, more of a statement, and Jack could only sigh and nod. He released her and turned away, but Sam wasn't having any of that.

"Jack, don't..." Sam closed her eyes wondering if she would ever have a proper relationship with him at all. After all they had been through, she wasn't going to let him keep her at arm's length; just as he had apparently done with Sarah. There was no way he was shutting her out; not now, not ever. If they were ever going to get this right, then she would have to make that point abundantly clear right now. "Please, tell me, Jack. Don't you dare keep anything from me, not if you really want this. Just don't push me away. I'm here now for you. I want you to be able to tell me what's bothering you. I promise it will be okay to let me in."

Jack searched the depth of her eyes and saw the concern there, coupled as it was with confusion, but he also saw love and adoration there too. He knew then that she was his and he no longer needed to hide his feelings or worries from her. He should be able to trust her implicitly. He always had if the truth was known, even when she was with Pete. And yes, even when he was treating her so badly. That was just one of the reasons why he had felt the urge to leave, before she could see how much he'd really needed her. Things were different now of course. She'd gotten rid of that jerk and found herself an even bigger one. Because, that's what he'd been – a real pig-headed, stubborn, SOB, bastard of a jerk - and he really, really didn't deserve her.

Sam waited, keeping his dark fathomless eyes glued to hers. The long minutes that were passing were worrying to say the least, but she had to wait, if only for him to step either closer or further away from her.

Now was the pivotal moment, and the suspense was killing her. Which road was he going to take? Would he be able to put her betrayal behind him? Or would he take the plunge, that leap of faith, and want her to stay?

Finally Jack sucked in a huge breath, his lips curved into just a hint of a rather ironic smile. The one that always made her heart skip a beat whenever she saw it; it made him look so much younger, sexy and utterly adorable.

"I'm sorry Sam..." His words were soft and hesitant at first, and Sam's heart plummeted to the depths when she thought that he was dismissing her, but then he continued. "I don't know why I said all those things to you; you know I never wanted to hurt you, but I did. I don't have an excuse, other than I'm a real bastard. Yeah, I let Pete hit me. I wanted him to. I needed to feel the pain because it was a justifiably fitting punishment for hurting you so much that it made you cry. I deserved nothing less. And, God, I'm so, so sorry..." he left off, his voice hoarse with emotion and was trailing away into nothing, but his face told Sam everything she'd needed to know.

She gathered him into her arms and held him tight, one hand smoothing circles over his broad back while the other threaded its way up through the back of his military short grey hair to hold him close. She murmured her love for him, covering his neck and face with short sweet kisses, trying to take away the pain of guilt she knew he was feeling. All the time reassuring him that he had nothing to feel guilty about, that it was her fault too; that she should never have taken up with Pete. She kissed away the tears that leaked from his eyes until he grabbed her tightly and buried his face into her neck, his body shaking with the release of his pent up emotions.

Sam knew at that point that Jack was truly hers. He was, in his own way, allowing her to see him at his most vulnerable, at his weakest and it was liberating for her to witness it too. Her own tears came then, and she felt the guilt wash away from herself as well. Guilt for abandoning him and getting involved with Pete. She'd known all along that Pete wasn't the man for her, but for a time, it seemed like the only way to go. Time was passing by and she wasn't getting any younger; her biological clock was ticking, counting down the years she had left, so she'd taken that fateful step, until she found that she was struggling and way out of her depth. With more sobs she released the burden of causing him such deep agonising pain; pain that had almost broken him beyond repair. Causing him more harm than any of the Goa'uld had ever managed to inflict on him during the past. It had taken them several years but now they were together at long last and it felt so very right. Now, as a couple, they were complete.

Once the tears had been spent, they took a few moments to share a tender kiss. Pouring everything into it; forgiveness, love, passion, and the promise of forever. From that one simple touching of lips, came the merging of their souls that would last a lifetime.

Jack cupped Sam's cheeks, wiping away her tears with his thumbs. Sam returned the touching gesture, and both were now wearing deep satisfied smiles of caring and devotion. Jack brought his head down to meet with Sam's, their foreheads touching as he gave a small snort of ironic laughter. Sam smiled, though she demanded to know what had made him grin.

"What's so funny?"

"Oh...I don't know, us I guess!"

"Us? How's that?"

"We're a real pair of idiots, huh?"

Sam snorted with amusement, though countered his accusation with a little nudge of her forearm in his ribs.

"Talk for yourself, Jack. You can't in all honesty call me an idiot now, can you?"

"What's your point?" he asked, raising his head to frown down at her, though she could still see the mischievous twinkle in his eyes, negating the tone of his words.

"I'm a Doctor of Astrophysics," Sam sniggered. "I'm one of your science twins. Doctor Carter, remember?"

"Are you now? Well, I can soon change that!" he stated pulling himself up to his full height to tower over her.

"No you can't!"

"Yes I can!"

"Wanna bet?"

"I don't need to. It's a dead cert!" he growled smugly.

Sam narrowed her eyes at him, wondering if he was kidding or serious.

"How so?" she argued, placing her hands on her hips.

"You said 'Yes' earlier, so that means you won't be Doctor Carter for much longer. You'll be Doctor O'Neill!"

Sam felt herself deflate, shaking her head in defeat. He had her there. She pursed her lips and gave him a narrow eyed glare just before launching herself onto him. Her hands flew over his sensitive flesh until she had him collapse, quivering on the floor in a heap begging for mercy. He couldn't even recall the last time he'd been tickled to within an inch of his life; just that it was far too long ago if this was anything to go by. He hoped they could do this more often.

By now Sam was sitting astride his hips, her hands on his shoulders, forcing them to stay on the floor when the laughter died in their throats. Their eyes locked for a few moments then Sam eased herself downwards, her unrestrained breasts meeting Jack's bare chest, making them both gasp. Her lips parted, and Jack gave his suddenly dry ones a swipe of his tongue in anticipation. Their breathing faltered and hitched as they inched closer.

Sam closed her eyes and gasped the moment her lips touched his, setting up a deep tingle inside her that raced all the way to her toes. Jack was sure it was electricity he could feel as it shot through him, straight to his groin. He groaned in desire and need, so he deepened the contact, giving in to his passion. His whole body was on fire, and yet he felt so relaxed and completely at home with Sam, despite lying on the hard floor of the bathroom, and what his next move might be doing to his knees. Hanging onto Sam, he swiftly turned them both over, so that he was now covering her, pushing himself against her hips and getting a loud moan of pleasure in response. Sam spread her legs so that Jack could nestle against her, needing to feel his desire. Jack settled over her slender body wondering if he should stop and take this back to the bed now before they got too far gone to care, or...

It was at this point that the doorbell rang, earning a deep growl of frustration from Jack as well as a soft mewl of disappointment from Sam. Jack hung his head, resting it for an all too brief moment against Sam's before reluctantly pushing himself back onto his heels. Instinctively knowing that whoever it was out there wasn't going to give up until he'd answered, and judging by the incessant ringing and banging going on out there, weren't going away anytime soon. Not wanting to stop right in the middle of this wondrous moment, he was tempted to ignore it, but they might - whoever it was - just batter the door down. It had to be either Teal'c or Daniel or both perhaps. Daniel always had such lousy timing.

So, with a sad sigh of regret, he scrambled to his feet with a groan; he really was too old to be doing... that, on the floor. Next time he was gonna make sure they used the bed before they got carried away. Unhappily he adjusted his pants and picked up a clean shirt from the dresser in the bedroom. He made his way down the hallway towards the front door, pulling the garment over his head at the same time.

Making sure he was suitably decent and swinging the door wide with an annoyed growl he was completely taken off balance when he met with a hard fist smashing into his face. He practically flew backwards from the sheer force of the punch until he collided painfully with the wall behind him. His last thoughts just before he slipped into the darkness were, 'Crap! Not again!' and then he slithered down the wall to lay senseless on the floor of his hallway.

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

_Well, here at last is the next chapter in this story, so now you will find out just who it was that knocked Jack for six! Go, read, enjoy!_

_Thank you for all your reviews. I love to read just how you feel about the story._

Pride Comes Before A Fall 

By LetitiaRichards

_Previously:_

Making sure he was suitably decent and swinging the door wide with an annoyed growl he was completely taken off balance when he met with a hard fist smashing into his face. He practically flew backwards from the sheer force of the punch until he collided painfully with the wall behind him. His last thoughts just before he slipped into the darkness were, 'Crap! Not again!' and then he slithered down the wall to lay senseless on the floor of his hallway.

Chapter 8

The tall, dark, bulky shadow hovered over Jack's inert body, satisfaction filling his mind at having floored the very person responsible for causing his friend such distress. Another slightly smaller shadow joined him in looking down on the victim, making sure that he could see Jack's chest moving as he breathed. Satisfied that Jack wasn't dead, he looked up at his friend.

"A little bit heavy handed there Teal'c. We didn't want to kill him. At least, not just yet."

Daniel closed the door behind him, shutting the view off from anyone passing by that might catch a glimpse of more than they'd bargained for. He looked down at Jack's slack features and winced when he saw the bruise already forming around the rapidly swelling eye.

"I'd better go find something for that eye. He's gonna have one hell of a shiner, though that's nothing more than he deserves, right Teal'c?"

"Indeed, it is not Daniel Jackson. I believe it is something I should have done some time ago, long before Colonel Carter..."

"JACK?"

Both Teal'c and Daniel jerked round quickly at the sound of the high-pitched shriek, just in time to see Sam running down the hallway towards them, her disbelieving wide eyes firmly fixed on the incumbent form of her husband to be.

"Oh God, what the hell did you do to him?" she cried, pushing them away and dropping to her knees to see if Jack was okay.

"I..." Teal'c was speechless, now thoroughly confused as to why Lt. Colonel Carter was at O'Neill's house this early in the morning, besides being dressed in... well, apparently, very little. His eyebrow twitched uncomfortably before it rose in the classic, surprised Jaffa style, when his mind conjured up the reality

of the situation.

"Um... actually... Teal'c hit him," Daniel supplied unhelpfully, gaining a startled, though silent and somewhat irritated, response from his Jaffa teammate. He couldn't understand why Sam was there either, but by the look of her scanty outfit, she'd been there all night; and was looking decidedly flushed, though in all honesty that was probably because she seemed rather angry. Exceedingly angry actually, he quickly amended.

"What the hell for?" Sam demanded irately, torn between seeing to Jack's battered face or standing up to her full height and giving them both a thick ear for hurting someone who was supposed to be their friend; a General, no less.

Lucky for them they weren't actually in the Air Force or there could be hell to pay. Sam scowled. Air Force or not, there will be hell to pay for hitting Jack. She could only imagine what Jack would make of all this. It could go either way; but she was betting it wasn't going to go down at all well.

Daniel sheepishly studied his shoes while Teal'c became somewhat fascinated with the ceiling above her.

"I'm waiting, dammit! Why?" Sam demanded, glaring up at her teammates.

"Because he deserved it, Sam. He damn well hurt you, that's why!" Daniel replied defensively, full of self-justification. "We just couldn't stand by and let him trample all over you like that. It wasn't right. Not after all we've been through together as a team. He'd always maintained he'd never hurt you and yet he did. Dammit, he had it coming to him. If Teal'c hadn't knocked him out cold, then I would have done it." Daniel straightened up his spine, his arms folded across him, while his face was filled with grim determination, even though he still looked a little guilty.

"Oh is that so?" Sam argued. "Well, if that had been the case, then I guess I should have been flattered, but it's not, and I am far from happy about this!"

Daniel's face creased in further confusion, but Sam had turned away from them and only had eyes for Jack, who had decided it was time to wake up from his unexpected nap. He let out a long pain filled groan, and brought his hands up to cover his face.

"Oh God! Did someone get the number of that semi?" Another groan came from deep inside as he tried to sit up. Sam was right there helping him while the two guilty men stepped back, unsure of themselves for a change. Sam had already ungraciously waved them off, glaring daggers at the pair of them, daring them to help. They'd done enough damage for now.

"What the hell hit me?" Jack growled, trying to pull his face away from Sam's probing fingers.

"Leave it be Jack. I'll clean it up in a minute. Can you get to your feet or do you need some help?"

Jack blinked, trying to focus on something; anything. He knew it was Sam standing over him by her voice, but then he caught sight of two more blurred shapes standing over by the door.

"Teal'c? Daniel? That you guys?" Jack peered myopically through the swelling area at his friends, before he recalled what had happened. "Oh for cryin' out loud! You hit me for Christ's sake! Goddammit! What the hell was that all about?"

His anger had overridden any physical weakness he'd been feeling and right now he needed an answer. He clambered unaided to his feet, wavering slightly despite his self-assurance.

"Because Jack, if you must know, you've been a right SOB towards Sam lately, and WE decided that you should damn well pay for it. Teal'c saw the way you stormed out of the locker room that night and then heard Sam sobbing her heart out, that's why!"

Jack closed his eyes, knowing that Daniel was right, he had been downright cruel to Sam; but that had all been dealt with now, apology accepted. Things were totally different between them – they were actually going to get married at long last!

Sam watched him closely, seeing his forehead scrunch up in pain, as well as the sudden lurch to one side, knowing he was still feeling the effects from the recent blow. She had to get him to sit down before he fell down again.

She scowled at the two intruders, and growled out her orders.

"You!" She pointed at Teal'c. "Help me take Jack into the sitting room to lie down on the sofa. And you, Daniel..." She now faced her science twin. "Go get me some warm water and something to clean him up, then go find an ice pack to cover his eye." For a moment Daniel could only stand there and gape at her. Sam rolled her eyes and snapped. "NOW dammit, Daniel."

He shot off to the kitchen to follow her orders, not wishing to incur her wrath any further. Teal'c moved quickly to assist Jack to the step down into his living room and stepped away just as quickly when Jack pushed away his hands when he'd tried to get Jack to lie down.

"I'm fine, no thanks to you T," Jack growled as he sat there, resting his head on the back of the couch. His eye was throbbing in tune with his heartbeat, and his head was pounding from the whack on the back of it as he went flying backwards into the wall. Things had started off so nicely this morning too – now here he was nursing not only a bruised jaw and a split lip from that jerk Pete, but a black eye from his 'so called friend'. He always knew Teal'c could pack a punch and now he'd felt what it was really like to get hit by the big guy.

"Jack?" Sam couldn't help worrying about him. He'd gone really quiet, which was so unlike the Jack she knew.

"What?" he groused, feeling rather disgruntled. And who could blame him?

"Here, take these."

Jack opened his one good eye to see that she had popped out a couple of Tylenol from the blister pack and was holding them out to him along with a glass of water.

Wearily he nodded and accepted the medication, swallowing the tablets down with just a couple of sips of water. She reached out to take the glass and he looked away, feeling guilty all over again. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to get involved with her after all. He could be such a hard-hearted bastard sometimes, as he had been only a few days ago. He just didn't want to see her get hurt again. Perhaps he should call the whole thing off now before she got into too deep a relationship with him. Her two Rottweiler teammates would take care of her that was for sure, and he knew this for a fact having just been on the receiving end.

Sam, still scowling at Daniel, who'd brought in the required items, carefully bathed and cleaned the area around Jack's eye and then got him to hold the ice pack over it for a while to help keep the swelling down.

For once in his life Daniel was lost for words as he watched Sam working to clean up the mess on Jack's face. He cringed slightly when Jack winced from her probing fingers as she felt the back of his head, knowing he must have a goose egg there to add to his problems. Perhaps he should have hit Jack instead of allowing Teal'c that privilege; at least he wouldn't have done anywhere near as much damage as the Jaffa apparently had.

He turned to look at Teal'c wondering if the big guy was feeling any remorse from his actions. He didn't look any different at all, still wearing his impassive face as usual. Daniel sighed and slipped into the nearest chair, leaning forward to rest his arms on his knees and propping his chin into his cupped hands, guilt eating deeply into his soul. He and Jack were supposedly best friends; what would happen now to their tenacious, yet often tenuous, companionship?

Sam soon cleared away the things and was now bustling around in the kitchen, taking her anger out on the door of the closet. She could cut the atmosphere in that room with a knife it was so thick and heavy with stubborn pride and simmering anger, but she'd just about had enough of it. This was all because of her, and she was determined to put it to right.

She could feel her own anger and frustration simmering within her and just for once she was going to allow it to come to a boil. Those 'boys', including Jack, were not going to know what hit them!

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

_Well, here's the next chapter for those of you who are still reading this . I'm sorry to say that it seems many people are taking this too seriously. I did explain at the beginning that this was a story based on an alternate ending to season 8. I was trying to explore a 'What if?' type of scenario with this fic, and yes, it may have been a bit harsh to begin with, but **it **__**does have a happy ending**._

_I'd like to thank all of you who have continued to review; thanks for your support. There's probably only one more chapter left after this. And so, on with the story!_

Pride Comes Before A Fall 

By LetitiaRichards

_Previously:_

She could feel her own anger and frustration simmering within her and just for once she was going to allow it to come to the boil. Those 'boys', including Jack, were not going to know what hit them!

Chapter 9

Marching back towards the sitting room, she stopped at the top of the small series of steps to survey the three of them. Placing her hands on her hips she took in their postures and expressions or lack thereof and took a deep breath.

Teal'c, she could tell was hovering, ready to apologise to Jack, but was reluctant to do so until Jack looked as if he wanted to hear it. At this moment though, Jack looked anything but ready to listen to anyone, including her. She'd felt him shut down all his emotions – except anger - as she tended to his eye; not that he would admit to that, but she did know his little quirks and signs of distancing himself. He was obviously having second thoughts about their future together, she believed. And as for Daniel, well, he just looked like he wanted to forget the last hour or so, needing the ground to open up beneath him; his face was full of regret and plenty of guilt.

"Okay everyone, listen up, and listen up real good, because I'm only going to say this once!"

Three startled faces turned towards her, and if she hadn't been good and mad, she would have found their expressions quite comical. With eyebrows raised, both Jack and Daniel had opened their mouths ready to speak, but with one fierce glare from her, they had quickly backed down and now sat gaping at her with still open mouths, wondering what was coming – though they probably got that from the seriousness of her posture and features.

"Teal'c," she ordered in her best military voice, "sit down!"

Teal'c stiffened his back and continued to stand, sure that this did not concern him, for he had acted on her behalf. He eyed her with the ubiquitous eyebrow raised in question.

"Teal'c! Dammit, for once please do as I ask and hear me out!" Sam resisted the urge to stamp her foot to fully emphasize the significance behind her words, even if she really felt like doing it; if only it wouldn't make her look too infantile in the process, that was.

"As you wish Colonel Carter," Teal'c obviously and somewhat reluctantly acknowledged her demand, and with a slight incline of his head, took the nearest seat, though his eyes, she noticed, were avoiding the others.

"Thank you!" she sighed loudly, and moved down the steps into the room so that she could talk to them without having to shout – and would do too if it came to that.

"Now, for the sake of friendship and sanity, just shut up and let me finish before you all get hold of the wrong end of the stick. Yes, Jack and I argued, and yes it damn well hurt...for both of us."

Jack flinched inwardly, trying desperately to shut that day out of his mind, but he knew it was probably going to haunt him for the rest of his life. Daniel caught site of Jack's guilt as it flushed over his face and gave an inward smile that reminded him that Jack deserved his punishment, even if it was a little harsh. Not that he believed it had gotten them anywhere it seemed. Sam appeared to be mad with all of them.

"...But!" Sam continued, "that is all over and done with. Jack and I have had our little - chat, we've both apologised for things done and said, and now we'd really like to forget what happened back then. I was as much at fault as Jack was, but we're both fine with each other now. And as for you two..." she rounded on Daniel and Teal'c. Daniel jumped a little and sat right back in his chair, his arms automatically coming across to hug his chest as he steadied himself to listen to what Sam had to say about his part in all this.

"Daniel, I thought you were his best friend?" Sam waved a hand in Jack's direction as she spoke so Daniel was in no doubts as to whom she was referring to. "How could you do that to him? I never believed it possible for you to be a party to violence towards someone whom you considered your best friend. I'm disappointed in you. I know both you and Teal'c were supposedly acting for my best interests, but at this point in time, it was under a misguided notion of chivalry. And I'm perfectly capable of fighting my own battles, thank you," she finished sarcastically.

Daniel sighed with relief, though he still found it difficult to actually look either of them in the eye. She hadn't torn a strip off him as he'd expected, but then, she wasn't letting him off scot-free either. But, he was now regretting his hasty acceptance that they should be the ones to show Jack exactly what they thought about his attitude towards Sam of late.

"I'm sorry Sa..."

"Later Daniel. I'm not finished yet." Sam snapped, and Daniel recoiled, swallowing, recalling as he did that old cliché about 'hell, fury, and a woman scorned'... Apparently it had nothing on Sam Carter in full flow. Actually, he came to realise, it was so rare to see Sam so riled up. It didn't happen often, and Pete had better watch out for himself...

It was at that point that Daniel's logical brain kicked in, asking... Why was Sam there at Jack's house so early in the morning, and wearing what looked like a...? Jack's shirt and sweat pants? His mind sat up and took stock of the limited information and then mentally shook his head so that he could concentrate on what Sam was now saying to Teal'c.

"...and I'm surprised at you for actually hitting Jack. He was unconscious for crying out loud..." Sam scolded. Hearing that particular expression come from Sam made Daniel's eyebrows rise, and Jack to glance up at her and smirk. "What the hell were you thinking? You could have broken his jaw or his nose! Or worse!"

"I was defending your honour Major Carter. I felt that O'Neill deserved to feel the weight of my...our wrath in order to see sense. Is that not what one of your expressions direct us to do in order to 'knock some sense into him'." Here Teal'c paused to glance down his nose at Jack before continuing. "...though I am unsure if my efforts have succeeded."

Daniel couldn't help but snort, trying hard to hold back the laughter in his throat. Not being very successful with that he earned himself a stern scowl for both Sam and Jack this time. Daniel looked away for a few minutes while Sam still fumed at Teal'c, but he could see Jack out of the corner of his eye, and knew without a doubt that the General was sitting there feeling rather smug given the outcome of this little foray of being on the receiving end of Sam's tongue-lashing. Daniel's scowl returned quickly.

"Teal'c," Sam continued, "as much as I appreciate you sticking up for me, I really don't need you to go round hitting my friends. We have enough enemies out there as it is without dissent in our own camp. Just consider yourself lucky that the General won't be pressing charges."

Jack's growing smirk was wiped clean from his face at that, to be replaced by his former scowl, and now it was Daniel who was wearing the smirk once again.

"I'm not?" Jack couldn't help himself. He had to wonder why he wasn't going to stir it up.

Sam turned to glare at him.

"No...you're not, Jack. They thought they were protecting me. They just took it a little too far, is all."

Jack threw his hands in the air from frustration. He could feel his headache growing worse with every passing minute. He really didn't need this. He was hoping that Sam had finished her little tirade, send them packing, and let him grab some sleep. Perhaps his earlier thoughts of being alone were the better options here. He could quietly disappear and not be reminded of how things had turned out. She'd be better off without him after all.

He'd failed to see Sam watching him, and that the room had fallen silent around him. Slowly, he became aware that everyone's eyes were fixed on him. He frowned and looked up to see Sam standing there glaring down at him with her arms folded across her chest.

"What?" he growled testily. But before he could ask what was wrong, Sam stalled him.

"And as for you Jack O'Neill, don't you dare think that you are backing out of this, because you're not. I know exactly what you've been sitting there thinking. I can tell you the exact moment that you thought perhaps everyone would be better off without you, but you're wrong. Very wrong..."

Jack gaped up at her as if in shock that she could have read him so easily, but then his simmering anger got the better of him and he snapped back.

"Hey! Just so you know Carter, I'm the victim here, okay? I'm the one that took the fist in the face, and for what?"

"Because, it was you that hurt me Jack." Sam's words were soft as a whisper, and she held his eyes while her heart hammered noisily inside her chest. She didn't want to remind him, but she had to get them all through this, and for each of them to come out smelling like roses afterwards.

Jack's next words died in his throat as he felt, rather than heard the words she'd spoken and swallowed his anger. His dark eyes, at least the uninjured one, was fixed on her blue shimmering ones and what he saw there, gave him recourse. She loved him, despite what had happened, and she didn't want to lose him. He could see that; read it as if it was written in huge bright lettering on her heart and heard it in the softness of her quivering voice. There was moisture gathering in the corner of her eyes but he couldn't tell if it was from the pain she'd felt that night, or from fear of losing him, and it made his heart ache in response. How was he supposed to resist doing anything for her when she looked at him like that? Who knew that Jack O'Neill was the biggest sap in the world where Sam Carter was concerned?

Despite his thumping headache, and the slight lingering dizziness, he stood slowly, stepping closer to face her, and totally ignoring the other two in the room. Now standing directly in her personal space, he could feel her breath warm and inviting as it ghosted over his throat. He reached for her fingers and grasped them gently in his hands. He watched a single tear roll down her cheek, but she was smiling through it.

"I'll never hurt you again, Sam. You know I wouldn't because I love you with all my heart!"

Sam nodded slightly and her smile deepened, Neither of them took any notice of the surprised gasp that came from Daniel who was behind her.

"I know Jack. I'll never hurt you again either, I swear, because I love you too."

Jack released her hands and pulled her into his arms, wrapping her in his love. He felt her body relax as she leaned in to him, her arms reaching round his back, holding on with all her might, as if she was afraid to let go.

"Always Sam, for always!" he murmured into her neck as he kissed the bare flesh below her ear; a particularly sensitive spot which he'd discovered earlier that morning. She shuddered against him, releasing a little gasp as an erotic current ran right through her.

Sam couldn't help the little giggle that rose up when Daniel, finding his voice at last, couldn't help but commented on their positions.

"Will someone please explain what's going on? Do you two need to find a room or what? Not that I'm complaining or anything, far from it."

Both Jack and Sam let go and stood there holding hands instead, whilst facing their friends. Sam felt a nudge and looked up at Jack who jerked his head slightly, meaning she should be the one to enlighten the guys.

"Well, as I said before guys, Jack and I had already talked about what happened, and both of us have apologised. So, basically what it boils down to is that I made a huge mistake getting involved with Pete, when I knew all along it would probably upset Jack. Jack of course, felt that I'd let him down and was feeling very hurt by what appeared to be a kind of betrayal. Asking him to my wedding was like a big slap in the face for him, so we'd argued. I wasn't sobbing my heart out in the locker room because Jack and I had a fight, I was crying so hard because I just realised what I'd done to him. So, after going over everything last night, I finally came to my senses at last..."

"We," Jack interrupted. "We came to our senses," he clarified, seeing the confusion on her face. "What?" he asked, when all three looked at him curiously. He sighed and decided to enlighten them further. "I was gonna throw it all in, right? Me...Leaving? Ring any bells?"

"You did leave," Daniel stated, still mystified by Jack's declaration. "So...?"

"That's just it. I came to my senses. I didn't wanna leave. Not really," he shrugged. "And now I don't. Well, not exactly... I mean, I've left the SGC but I'm stickin' around as it were..."

"What?" Daniel felt as if Jack was doing this to get his own back, but what was he talking about?

Jack finally took pity on Daniel when he felt Sam's elbow nudge him in the ribs.

"Okay, okay. I got an offer from General Hammond in order to make it possible to stay within the military and keep an eye on what's going on under the mountain. Plus, I could also have something I've been wanting for a very long time." He turned to smile at Sam and finally Daniel's penny dropped into place.

"Sam! You and Sam?"Daniel's eyes grew as big as saucers and he wore a smile that matched.

Sam giggled and nodded, snuggling up to Jack again and slipping her arm round his waist. Jack responded by placing his arms round her shoulders, pulling her closer.

"Oh yeah! Got it in one Danny-boy."

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

_I am really, really sorry to keep you all waiting for so long before getting this done and posted off. I have no real excuse, other than my muse seemed to have deserted me for a while. However, it's back now so I hope that you will enjoy this chapter and that it will make up for keeping you waiting for this, the final chapter. There will be an Epilogue to follow, sooner than later, I assure you. Thanks for all your reviews to date and for being so patient._

Pride Comes Before A Fall

By LetitiaRichards

_Previously:_

"Oh yeah! Got it in one Danny-boy."

Chapter 10

"And just for the record, guys. All this..." Sam paused as she brought her hand up to touch Jack's bruised jaw as gently as possible. "...was for nothing. We'd already decided that we wanted to be together."

"Well you might have told us!" Daniel grumbled. He hated being kept out of the loop, especially with anything as important as this -- which was significantly vital -- because it was something that would affect all their lives. "Then... Well, you know..." Even through his frustration, he still felt incredibly guilty over his and Teal'c's somewhat rash decision to try and teach Jack a lesson in how to behave towards Sam. Inwardly he winced over the whole incident, and it didn't help him feel any better when he could almost see Jack's skin darken into a very nasty looking vivid bruise right before his eyes. Perhaps he should have done more to persuade the big guy not to hit Jack -- at least not that hard. Under normal circumstances he was always glad of Teal'c's seemingly inhuman strength whenever they'd got into trouble off-world, but this was the first time he'd seen the Jaffa's might used against a friend -- let alone on someone like Jack who was specially trained. The result wasn't very pretty, and idly he wondered what had made Jack lower his guard enough to bear the full force of Teal'c's wrath. The only conclusion he could draw was the fact that perhaps Jack's mind had been -- preoccupied with...Sam. Oh! Ooops!

"Why were Daniel Jackson and I not informed of this development, O'Neill? It may have precluded any unnecessary pain of your behalf."

As always, Teal'c was the master of the understatement. Jack sighed and rolled his eyes. Yes, hindsight was the greatest irony, and Teal'c was full of it. He should know -- Teal'c had easily picked up the many nuances of sarcasm, from him no doubt!

"I know that!" Jack grumbled with a frown.

"We're sorry guys, but we only came to a decision late last night," Sam explained quickly, trying to avoid another argument she felt sure was brewing, judging by Jack's dark scowl. "We simply hadn't got around to letting either of you know yet, and Jack had only just gotten up when you rang..." Sam's words cane to a sudden stop after a choked and angry, "Hey!" issued forth from her shocked partner. She couldn't help wonder about what he found objectionable in her statement to... It was only then she fully realised just exactly what her words had implied. Her hand flew to cover her mouth and she blushed all the way down to her toes, but her eyes then lit up with amusement at Jack's affronted frown. "Oh Gosh! I... I'm sorry!" she snorted, trying hard to be serious but failing. "I...I really didn't mean for that to come out like it did. Em...Jack?"

'_You can say that again!'_ Jack mused silently, deeply mourning the loss of 'that' mood. He'd been rather enjoying their interaction in the bathroom earlier. It was also something he'd so not really wanted to share with the other members of his team!

Then Daniel finally got with the programme, too, and completely understood the inadvertent innuendo. His eyes grew wider and his face now reflected the mirror image of Sam's embarrassment. Flushing a deep shade of red, he ducked his head downwards to study the floor. It was no good though. Jack was already chuckling by now at Sam's accidental goof. Then add the fact that Daniel was actually discomfited by it, it was enough to set Jack off into peals of laughter. Gradually though, all three humans gave in to the need to share the rare moment of enjoyment; something that had been sorely missing between them of late.

Standing rigidly in his place, his face set in stone, Teal'c silently observed his team-mates. He failed to understand why all three of them were having to wipe the tears from their eyes as if they were crying. Were they not supposed to be expressing mirth? He was unsure, even now, if he would ever fully get to grips with the Tau'ris strange nature.

Through a haze of watery eyes from laughing so much, Jack could see that Teal'c wasn't joining in the fun. It seemed as if he was still waiting for the penny to drop, but there was no way he was about to explain it to him; not this time.

What Sam's unintentional lapse of concentration had actually done was -- funnily enough -- just the right thing they all needed to break the awkwardness between them. The atmosphere in the room had at times become quite intense, but now they were comfortable with each other once again through shared amusement.

At last, Teal'c figured it out and his deep booming laugh soon joined with theirs.

OoOoOoOoOoO

A few hours later after Jack had put through several personal calls, the four friends were seated round the dining table eating a Chinese takeout. They chatted amiably over what the future held for each of them from this point.

"So what's going to happen now?" Daniel asked, not at all sure how they were going to go on as regards Sam's work. "I mean, you just retired, Jack."

"I know, Daniel, and that's the whole point. I'm actually in a position where we can now, quite legitimately, get married. I'm not under any USAF regulations from here on."

"But I thought Sam said you were going to take up General Hammond's offer of a promotion, and work at the Pentagon? How does that relate to retirement?"

Sam and Jack shared a momentary glance at each other, both smiling. For all his PhDs, and despite being affiliated to the USAF for the past 8 years, Daniel could be a little slow on the uptake on occasions, especially concerning military regulations.

Jack leant forward, resting on his forearms on the table as he tried once again to explain it to his young friend.

"As of now, I'm officially retired, right?"

Daniel nodded, so Jack carried on while Sam stood, walked across the room and poured them all a cup of coffee from the coffee machine in the corner of the countertop. She had a feeling Daniel really could do with a fresh cup -- if only to get his brain into gear. So, too, could Jack, who was trying his hardest to remain patient as he went over the details once more.

"That means that Sam and I can legally get married. We're not serving in the same line of command, because officially, I'm no longer a member of the US Air Force." Again Daniel nodded his understanding. "All I have to do then, is stay retired until General Hammond forces his own, and very well deserved, retirement onto the President in six months time. He will then put in a request that I should be recalled out of retirement to take over from him; again. At that point the fraternisation rules won't apply anymore because we will already be married."

Jack slumped back in his chair with a deep sigh and rubbed his hands through his hair, waiting with bated breath for that proverbial penny to finally drop into Daniel's brain.

"Understand it all now? Comprende?" Jack asked when nothing of import was coming from his archaeologist. "Oh for cryin' out loud, Daniel!"

"What?"

"What do ya mean, what?" Jack responded with more than a hint of exasperation in his voice.

Daniel looked totally innocent and completely blank, only adding fuel to Jack's mounting frustration.

Jack's head dropped to thump the table, hoping to vent some of his annoyance, but all he managed to do was aggravate his sore face which made his head ache even more.

"Argh, crap!" he growled, now holding his hands over the renewed throbbing of his facial features.

Sam took pity on him and quickly offered him some Tylenol to help with the pain. She also threw Daniel a dark glare, showing him she hadn't altogether forgiven him yet for getting Jack into this state.

Daniel sighed. He did understand, but he'd also wanted to egg his friend on a little. Now, of course, he'd wished he hadn't. Maybe, he thought to himself, he should go back to bed and try starting the day over again? Laughter and fun aside though, Daniel sobered quickly.

"Jack," Daniel began. He laid a hand on Jack's arm to show that his next words were in earnest. "I'm sorry. I do understand. Honestly. I'm just really happy to see you two finally getting it together. You both deserve this, and I know it's been a long time in coming. I'll be sorry to see you go off to Washington, but at the same time I also know you're the best man for the job. You know all there is to know about the SGC, Jack, and we could really do with all the help we would get once you're there. I'm sure gonna miss our team get-togethers, though -- not so much the beer."

"Yeah, me too!" Jack responded with a sigh, clapping the younger man on the shoulder, "Except that last part of course!"

"Me three!" Sam added.

"As will I!"

Three faces turned towards their friendly Jaffa, eyebrows raised.

"Is there something amiss with my response, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked. As far as he understood, he had said nothing inappropriate.

Jack leaned over the table to reach his friend's arm. He patted it gently.

"Absolutely nothing big guy. Except, next time ya wanna hit me, maybe we should wait until we're sparring in the gym, huh?"

"As you wish, O'Neill." Teal'c then dipped his head slightly in deference to his warrior brother.

Jack was more than relieved when smiles broke out over the faces of his closest friends again. He hadn't liked the way things were gradually turning towards those touchy feely sentiments, and he couldn't bear going all through that again. This could be the last chance they had to gather together like this for who knew how long. He also wanted to keep the mood upbeat rather than bordering on what he deemed was categorically morose.

"So, when's the big day?" Daniel asked, smiling broadly as he took the unspoken hint.

"Daniel...we've hardly had time to plan anything as yet. I swear I hadn't been awake more than fifteen minutes or whatever when Teal'c, here, put me back to sleep again. I've even shed blood for you! What more do you want from me?"

"How about an invitation to the biggest event in the SGC calendar?"

"And what would that be, might I ask?"

"It's obvious, Jack. Yours and Sam's wedding of course!"

"Oh no!" Jack wagged a finger at the younger man. "No way are we having a big wedding. A quiet little affair is the order of the day, thank you very much. Isn't that right,

Sam?"

Sam chewed nervously on her bottom lip, eyeing him tentatively from under her long eyelashes, wondering if he'd call the whole thing off if she disagreed with his ideas about their wedding.

"Sam?" Jack could almost feel her disappointment and it was something he couldn't bear to see in her face.

She stayed quiet, but her gaze dropped to study her hands. Daniel gave Jack a glare that threatened reprisals if he so much as hurt her again. With a certain clarity, Jack knew he was outnumbered. Casting a quick glance over at Teal'c he couldn't help but notice the raised eyebrow of disapproval, he was quickly proved correct in his assumption. Faced with the prospects of another painfully enforced nap, he decided that perhaps retreat was the best option between survival and a fate worse than death. Besides, he really wanted to please Sam, so was perfectly happy to go along with her wishes. Jack purposely blew out a protracted breath at his obvious lack of choice.

"Okay, then. Guess this means we'll be booking the chapel after all."

He was rewarded with a beaming Sam who literally threw herself into his arms. She laughed and hugged him as he pulled her to sit on his lap keeping her in his embrace. Daniel was already sporting a wide smile; and Teal'c too, they noted with satisfaction. It was quite obvious their friends were happy for them. Sam, apparently was ecstatic, and Jack was more than pleased with the way things had turned out.

Having achieved their goal, Daniel and Teal'c called time and took their leave, opting to allow Jack and Sam to become better acquainted and to begin planning that big day. The one that would start them off on the right path. Daniel had seen it happen so often in other realities, and now it was about to happen in this one, too; he couldn't have wished anything more for two of his closest friends.

Jack and Sam watched them go from the doorway until the car had disappeared round the corner. With his arm round Sam, Jack pulled her indoors again and closed the door behind her. Sam swung herself round until she could wrap her arms around him and look up into his face. They shared a brief kiss but stayed where they were, still smiling at each other.

"We have plans to make, Jack, and I think this had better be done sooner than later, don't you?"

"Oh, you know me, Sam. I love plans. What do you think -- Plan A or plan B?"

Sam frowned, wondering what he had in mind.

"That really depends on what they involve, Jack."

"Well, let's see, on the whole -- plan A rarely works for SG-1, so I was thinking that we could jump straight into plan B." Jack's smile deepened when Sam looked cautiously intrigued. He pulled her closer, enjoying the delicious sensations the closeness of her body was having on him.

"So, just what is plan B, Jack?" she asked with a dreamy sigh, drowning in the delightfully masculine feel of her lover, and soon to be husband.

"Ack! You have to choose first!" he said with all seriousness.

"Jack!"

"Sam, what's it to be?"

Sam closed her eyes, knowing what she wanted, and by the feel of it, so did he. Opening her eyes to search his dark and needy ones, she sucked in a breath.

"Okay, I'm thinking plan...B," she answered with determination. If it wasn't the one she desired right now, then she was planning on forcing him to follow her own ideas -- plan C.

"You sure?" he asked, and Sam nodded enthusiastically.

Jack grinned and then swept her off her feet, making her giggle once more. He headed towards the bedroom with her still in his arms.

Once there he lowered her to the bed with a low growl of desire, which had Sam almost squirming with need.

"Before you start anything flyboy -- just tell me what plan A was!"

Lying down beside her and pulling her back into his loving embrace, he kissed the end of her nose before looking her in the eye.

"Oh...ya know...we can get to plan A after we're done here." Jack's lips latched onto the pulse point in the hollow of her neck eliciting a small moan from Sam.

"Jack!" she warned, reluctantly pulling away from his onslaught wanting to know his answer before they were completely distracted from everything.

"Exactly what it says, planning. You know...dates...flowers, guest list... All that kinda stuff. Plan B was a much better option, don't ya think? We've got lotsa catchin' up to do!"

"Oh yeah! I'd definitely have to agree with you there..."

Neither Jack nor Sam wanted to be anywhere else than wrapped up in each other's arms... For the rest of their natural lives.

The End.

Epilogue to follow in a day or two!


	11. Epilogue

_Well, here it is at last! Sorry it took me longer than I'd thought, but I wanted to get it done just the way I wanted so that it would convey everything it needed to say. I only hope you like the end result._

Pride Comes Before A Fall

By LetitiaRichards

_Previously:_

Neither Jack nor Sam wanted to be anywhere else than wrapped up in each other's arms... For the rest of their natural lives.

Epilogue...

_**Much, much later...**_

"Hey! You ready in there?"

"Almost."

"You don't wanna be late for this!"

"Okay, okay! I'm coming!"

"I always thought it was the women who were supposed to keep the men waiting when they were going out to dinner?"

"And? So?"

"So -- I'm ready and you're..." Sam's words faltered then stopped as Jack stepped from the bathroom.

"Ready!"

Sam stood at the door gazing at Jack as he joined her in the bedroom. He looked so damn handsome, even if she was the only one to say so. Certainly a lot more dashing and debonair than the usual male of his..._ahem_..."advanced" years. His features were dark, recently tanned from working outdoors in the Minnesota sunshine and his grey hair had been bleached almost white. The holiday they'd spent at his cabin in the wilds before returning in time for this particular dinner date had been absolutely fantastic. Sam was far, far happier than she had ever been throughout her earlier life, and it was all due to the wonderful man who was standing before her.

So, he'd put on a little weight and wasn't quite as firm and muscular as he had been when they'd first met, but that was to be expected from sitting behind a desk all hours of the day...and sometimes night as well. He could still give those young cadets a run for their money -- that was, if and when he was called upon to help train some of the new recruits for the SGC. Sam had loved to watch as Jack put them to the test; the cynical look on their faces from seeing a...senior instructor -- who was to show them what to do -- soon turned to admiration after he'd left them struggling to catch up with him. Even now he could still outwit and outlast the best of the bunch. He'd worked hard to keep himself fit, and thanks to Thor, his knees were better than ever.

Jack's eyes alighted onto hers with much amusement and he felt that deep satisfaction filling him from having everything he'd ever wanted. He couldn't help but think he must have died and gone to heaven, because Sam was everything he had expected from her, and so much more. He pulled himself up and stood to attention, watching and enjoying her obvious appraisal of him, happy in the knowledge that, no matter what his age, she still craved after his body – which for him was both a pleasant and gratifying thing to know.

"Do I pass muster, Mrs O'Neill?"

"That you do, sir, General, sir!" Sam snapped to attention as quickly as her full length dress would allow and gave him a text book salute before giggling as she relaxed again.

To which Jack swept her a dignified bow of thanks and then carefully studied his wife's trim figure -- covered as it was in a flattering dark blue evening gown and silver jewellery -- with a critical eye. Sam could have worn her Mess dress, too, but this was Jack's evening and tonight she was there as his wife, not his former second-in-command.

"You know, you look..." Jack hummed in appreciation of what he saw. "hmmm...more beautiful than ever, Sam."

"And you, so much..." she replied with as much admiration as Jack had shown toward her, but he'd jumped in without letting her finish.

"Older?" he questioned, gazing down at his hands, looking for the appearance of age spots. There were one or two but he could ignore them, passing them off as battle-scars.

"No, that wasn't what I was thinking..." Sam sniggered with amusement on seeing his surprise as she added, "But, you know...now that you mention it..."

"Hey! Watch it!" he grumbled, wagging his index finger at her, though his dark eyes were filled with a playful twinkle. "I could leave you here and go on my own."

"And then where would you be, General John Joseph O'Neill?"

Jack glowered, but only for a moment. When Sam smirked like that he could only grin, too. Moving closer to embrace her they shared a last minute hug and kiss, knowing it would have to be the last display of familiarity until they were home once again. Out of habit Sam straightened his tie and then brushed away the imaginary pieces of lint from the lapels of his dark Mess jacket, wanting to make sure he appeared at his very best before they left the hotel. He looked absolutely irresistible in his uniform as always. The various accoutrements adorning the jacket gleamed from the hours of attention that had been lavished upon them; the many rows of medals proclaiming his status as hero. An appellation he richly deserved though Jack would quickly deny any such worth, declaring that the things he had done over the years were merely carried out by him in the line of duty befitting an officer in the USAF.

OoOoOoOoO

The sleek, dark saloon pulled up at the kerb and the young airman rushed from the front seat and opened the car door for his passengers, snapping to attention and saluting them as they emerged into the cool evening air.

The plush, deep blue carpet of the function room cushioned the noise from the crowd within to a muted murmur until they finally reached the ornate doors. A liveried footman stood on duty while an official called for attention while Jack and Sam stood on the threshold waiting to enter.

"AF General and Mrs Jack O'Neill!"

They walked forward into the now hushed room and graciously acknowledged their host with a slight bow, then took turns to shake the offered hand as they answered several questions put forward by an elderly patriot.

"Jack! Sam! It's good to see you've finally arrived."

Everyone turned to watch as they greeted the influential man behind the strong, commanding voice.

"Mr. President. Good to see you, too, sir." Jack replied shaking hands once again, and inwardly sighed that if he had to shake many more hands then his arms were sure to fall off - and soon! Sam whole-heartedly supported this thought as well when it was her turn to shake the President's hand.

"Doctor Daniel Jackson and Tilk!" Came the announcement from the man at the door and, looking up, Jack grinned when he realised that Daniel was trying to correct the Master of Ceremony's pronunciation of Teal'c's name. However, the President quickly called them over to introduce them to the rest of the important guests before Dr. Jackson could give the poor man a lecture on Chulakian names and their unique enunciation, and maybe instigate what could be termed as an international crisis.

Now that the gang was all here, it was time to get down to real business of the evening's purpose. There were more lackey's moving about the room plying people with cocktails and entrees while they all waited for the official and formal dinner in Jack's honour.

After circulating around the room and having to suffer all sorts of innocent, yet understandably, ignorant questions that were repeated far more often than Jack felt was necessary; he tolerated each one with surprising patience borne from years of military diplomacy despite being neither willing nor wanting to explain things yet again. He shared a look of resigned impatience with Sam who squeezed his hand to show that she understood exactly how he felt, as well as to reassure him that this whole charade was nothing he hadn't done before, and that they would soon be heading home again. Jack had always detested formal occasions and this was just about as formal as one could possibly get.

A matter of several minutes later and they were all following their hosts into the formal dining room where a ten course meal was awaiting them. In spite of his easy manner, Sam could see that Jack still looked rather tense as he took his place at the head table, glancing in disbelief at the sheer amount of tableware in front of him; more troubling were the seemingly endless and overcrowded tables as they seemingly disappeared into the distance at the other end of the vast room. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm himself, wishing he was back home; his little cabin was calling to him but right now Minnesota seemed a million light years away. They could be on another planet right now for it felt just about as far away as it could be.

"Jack? Are you okay?" whispered Sam into his ear as she took her place beside him.

Jack turned towards her and could plainly see the concern for him in her face.

"Can we go home yet?" he asked, trying to make himself heard above the excited chatter so that Sam could hear his whisper, but he did so just as the room fell silent. His rather less than circumspect comment which had been so easily overheard, caused a soft ripple of laughter which spread like a Mexican wave, only growing with intensity until it was echoed loudly right back at him. Jack held his breath wondering if it was too late to take his words back and hoping that he hadn't made such a huge faux pas which would result in the drop a diplomatic brick onto their heads.

"I am sure, General O'Neill, that we won't keep you any longer than is necessary," their gracious host replied with a bright sparkle of amusement in his eyes.

Jack had the decency to blush slightly before he shrugged apologetically, spreading his hands wide.

"What can I say?" he said wryly. "That's why I had Daniel on my team!"

To which Daniel could only roll his eyes and utter a long-suffering sigh of "Jaaack!".

Both Jack's words and Daniel's reaction created further laughter around the room but it did make Jack feel a lot more relaxed when their hosts had joined in the fun, too. Surprisingly, the meal was good, and the conversation during the dinner was rather more intelligent than was forthcoming from some of the "stuffed shirts", as Jack had referred to some of the guests he'd spoken to, before they'd sat down to eat.

The after dinner speeches were thankfully short but from then on, it was all down to Jack's former team-mates, Sam, Daniel and Teal'c who were called to the podium where it was their turn to entertain the guests with stories of Jack's leadership as well as his exceptional heroism, fortitude and integrity he willingly contributed to the cause of keeping the Earth safe from the evil machinations of the Goa'uld. The three of them answered many questions about Earth's foremost hero, which had Jack actually cringing in his seat with shy modesty and discomfiture. When they had finished, the people called upon the General to say a few words, and so Jack reluctantly approached the podium. But, with the ease which came from innumerable meetings and briefings, Jack was now quite adept at speaking in public -- though he admitted that this time it was slightly more awesome than most he'd ever attended in the past -- he managed to keep them entertained without much loss to his personal shortcomings.

As the former leader of SG-1, as well as the SGC and Home-World security, Jack spoke of the given the task he'd been given to step through the Stargate. He spoke about how from that moment his life had changed and thankfully all for the better for meeting so many men and women that had become his friends and family. How from that first day it changed the way they would now look upon the universe in general.

How, after everything they had encountered on the other side of the Stargate had made -- the many differences between the warring nations on Earth -- seem like petty squabbles when compared to the bigger picture of what was happening in distant galaxies. He then regaled them with stories of fighting for their very existence against a foe so technologically advanced that no alien being had so far managed to destroy. That was, until the day the brilliant Doctor Daniel Jackson had unlocked the mystery of the Stargate which then led to a startling discovery of what exactly was out there in the blackness of space. He went on to praise all of the men and women of the SGC whose tenacity and courage finally caused the downfall of the Goa'uld and then the Ori as well as the many smaller threats that had existed and who dared to take on the might of the SGC.

And with certainty Jack couldn't help but sing the praises of SG-1 , carefully omitting his own part as its leader, although he had mentioned that the team did play an enormous part of the outcome. But, he also made it a point to mention the various skills the personnel of the SGC had used, right along with the many sacrifices, including some very dear friends, that had been made in fighting to keep their planet a safe place to live - quoting the number of lives lost during the very long battle. With all things considered, they should continue to do so, particularly with the help of other nations who were willing to ensure the future of the human race.

In wrapping up the speech, he confessed that he was going to miss being a part of the programme, but he needed more time to pursue those "all important" personal issues that he'd put aside for far too long. He turned his head towards Sam and smiled, reaching out sideways for her to join him. His hand pulled her into a hug before announcing that they, as a couple, had waited for long enough for this time to come. And now that it was here, it was time to stop and enjoy the security and peace that they had helped bring about.

After a rousing applause, Jack and Sam stepped down and stood with their two remaining team-mates who had moved to a position at the side, while the President of the United States launched into the real reason for this lavish occasion...namely that Jack O'Neill was finally retiring after serving at Stargate Command for eight years, which was followed by another twelve years as the director of Home-world security.

"It has been my privilege to have known Jack O'Neill for several years now," the US President began, "and without a doubt in my mind he is the one and only person to whom we should be eternally grateful to for saving our planet from a fate worse than death. As leader of the greatest team the SGC has ever fielded, he fearlessly led his rather 'eclectic' team out of dangerous situations that nobody would believe was possible..."

Jack cast his eyes to the floor again, unable and unwilling to listen to anyone who was blatantly portraying him to be so much more than he was. He was just a simple man; a dedicated soldier doing his duty – which happened to be a little or a lot stranger than what one would normally expect to face in battle. He'd done it, and he'd survived, and yes, he was happy that his efforts had finally been acknowledged to the world with the recent disclosure of the Stargate, but as for this "staged" event that was making him look like a hero -- something to which he would never acknowledge in a million years -- well, it was all rather embarrassing.

Sam watched her husband's reactions closely, acutely aware of the absolute denial of this particular reluctant hero. She slipped her hand into his again and gave it a squeeze, giving him a wry but sympathetic smile when he turned his head to look at her. He shook his head as the words of praise continued, but Sam knew the best was yet to come, and couldn't wait to see his reaction to the long overdue presentations.

"...I recall when I first learned of the Stargate Programme, I was stunned that Jack had very nearly sacrificed himself in the battle with Anubis who was considered to be the worst threat to mankind since the SGC was formed. Therefore, let us be upstanding to toast the most celebrated hero this world has ever seen. Your Royal Highness, My Lords, Ladies, Officers and Gentlemen...I give you, Jack O'Neill." With that, the President was handed his champagne and raised his glass to Jack along with everyone in the room.

The room was filled with cries of "Here, here!" "Cheers!" and many other, some in foreign voices which added to the toast. Jack knew Daniel would understand what they were saying, but other than that he closed his ears to it all. He turned accusing eyes onto his former team-mates, silently berating them all when he realised that they knew all about this beforehand.

Once his health had been toasted, Jack was called to go and stand beside the President. Reluctant at first, he was more or less pushed forward by his wife and friends, much to the amusement of the guests once again.

Guest after guest stepped forward to award him some sort of medal for his part in keeping the world a safe place, until Jack was literally sagging with all the brass that had been added to his jacket until little of the uniform could be seen underneath.

Then at long last it was finally over, and he could sit back and watch Sam, Daniel and Teal'c receive their own accolades from various thankful nations, and it was his turn to smile at their shocked faces.

Once the ceremony had ended and more questions had been answered, it was time to leave. Jack was more than ready to depart, despite actually enjoying the various conversations he'd had with one or two people. The young Prince of Wales had been charming as was usual, the President, amiable and a perfect diplomat, pulling his ass out of the flames a few times when he quickly forgot names, or more often than not, mangled the pronunciation.

They bid farewell to everyone, and were taken back to their limousine which waited at the foot of the steps. Surprisingly, or maybe not, they had only encountered hostility from a few countries when they had revealed the secret of the Stargate. As a team, SG-1 had earned their places in history as heroes, led by the most modest, self-effacing, and reluctant hero of them all; Jack O'Neill -- the irascible, irreverent, and oft' times insubordinate, yet intrepid and indomitable explorer.

Sam, snuggled up beside him on the journey back to the hotel; she was tired but extremely happy with the way the evening went. Jack had finally been given the reward he'd justifiably earned and all was right in the world. She had Jack and that was all she needed right now.

"Hey, sleepy-head!"

"Hmmm?" she replied half asleep already.

"We're here!"

"Already?"

"Yep. And don't forget we still have to pack. Got an early flight back home remember?"

"Uh hu!" She reluctantly uncurled herself from his warmth and shivered in the chilly breeze that blew into the car when the airman opened the door. It was now raining, too. Typical Summer weather apparently, so Sam had been told by the doorman who looked positively cheerful despite the lateness of the hour and the cold.

Jack tipped him several coins and they hurried up the steps into the hotel foyer. He collected their key and ordered a champagne supper to be delivered to their room.

Once alone in their room, Jack pulled her into his arms and kissed her thoroughly.

Sam gazed up into his eyes and smiled at the love she saw reflected in the dark hazel pools that were fixed on hers. His hand came up to brush a stray, grey wisp of hair from her forehead before letting his fingers slide down towards her cheek where it stayed nestled against the soft skin.

"Happy Anniversary my beautiful, wonderful, Mrs O'Neill!" he said with a soft sigh filled with passion.

Sam glanced over at the clock and smiled when she saw it was passed midnight and it was officially their eleventh wedding anniversary.

"Happy Anniversary to you too, Sir."

"You gonna revert to that again? It's taken you years to forget all that crap."

"But that's just what you are. You were presented with an Honorary Knighthood from the Prince, so you're now Sir John O'Neill," she said with a giggle when he ground his teeth but because he didn't appreciate the recognition – just the way she'd exploited the title. Whatever he was going to say or do was lost though, when there was a knock at the door which turned out to be their champagne. Jack tossed the man some more coins and locked the door after him; there was no way he wanted any interruptions.

"There's just the two of us, Sam, what more do we need? We have champagne, we're alone in a hotel room. Nobody to interrupt us. Sam, please, come to bed..."

It was at that point the phone rang. Jack sighed and reluctantly allowed Sam to answer the call. Holding the phone out towards him, Jack sighed in resignation; maybe one day they would get a moment to themselves. He could hear excited voices yelling down the phone from the other side of the room!

He shook his head and smiled at Sam who looked happy as she spoke to their nine year old twins on the phone. He was content with life, and more so since they had been blessed with a family; something he'd never envisaged since losing Sarah and Charlie. That was all in the past though, and after a rocky start, this -- Sam, Danny junior, and Jacob junior -- were his future.

Jack O'Neill could never want for anything more in his long and happy life.

The End

_A/N: I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone of you who kept reviewing this story and also to those of you who just simply read it, my thanks are for your continued forbearance on this work which sadly took a lot longer than I'd bargained for to complete. Your comments and words of encouragement helped me to reach this point when I felt there was little hope of reaching the end._

_It may be a while in coming, but the next story will be the big 100__th__ so please be patient as I strive to write enough chapters in order to begin posting. _


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